Rules of Attraction
by Nikki Exley
Summary: Stefan never moved to town. Damon returns to Mystic Falls after Zack's death to take care of the boarding house and is stunned when he sees Elena for the first time. A Delena story, of course
1. At First Sight

Discalimer - I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note - A thank you to pandora03 for looking this over for me and catching all those little mistakes I always seem to miss. This story takes place after Elena's freshmen year of college. I'd love to know what you guys think of this chapter, be it good or bad. Reviews are like crack my friends. Help a junkie out ;)

* * *

God, he hated this fucking town.

He hadn't set foot in Mystic Falls since 1989, after Zack's father had died and he needed to bring Zack up to speed on just how things worked while he was acting as caretaker of the boarding house. Stefan had dropped by every few years after his initial visit to check on things and Damon cursed the fact that his little brother was currently traipsing through Asia, leaving him to clean up the mess left behind after Zack's unexpected death.

When Zack had succumbed to a particularly aggressive form of cancer, the last of the Salvatore caretakers died with him. He had never married nor had any children, not wanting to saddle them with the burden of living their lives under Damon and Stefan's rule.

Which meant Damon was stuck here until he figured out what to do with their family's home.

He had been in town less than a week when he first saw her.

The blond he was feeding from was pressed up against the alley wall outside of the Grill, moaning quietly as his hands slid under the tight Lycra of her skirt. The light crunch of gravel in the nearby parking lot caught his attention and then he saw _her_, a carbon-copy of Katherine. He lifted his head from the sultry girl beneath his mouth and snapped her neck unceremoniously.

For an instant he believed she _was_ Katherine and his body hitched forward, eager for a fight or a fuck, but she turned her head at the last possible second and he caught a glimpse of her eyes.

They were the same shape as Katherine's, the same chocolaty shade of brown, but the similarities ended there. Although lovely, her eyes were dull – lifeless. This girl was broken. There was no way she could be Katherine. Although they were often cruel and cold, Katherine's eyes were never lifeless. This girl, whoever she was, was obviously plagued by something.

He had ascertained all of this in less than a fraction of a second, the girl's head was still turning and Damon realized that someone had called out to her. Caught up in the unexpected moment, he had missed her name. A guy about her age was jogging over to her, an object in his extended hand.

"You forgot your phone again."

She offered him a small smile, her eyes brightening slightly. "Thanks, Matt."

A brief twinge of jealousy flared within him when he saw her smile at her…friend? Boyfriend? It was ridiculous and he dismissed the feeling immediately, contributing it to the fact that she looked exactly like the only woman he had ever loved.

"No problem"

She took the proffered phone and slid it into her purse. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She turned away from Matt, and climbed into her car. Damon smirked at the expression on the boy's face. He was definitely not her boyfriend, but judging from the look on the poor schmuck's face, he certainly wanted the job.

Remembering the corpse at his feet, Damon deposited her body in the dumpster that had been shielding them from view before he focused his attention of the girl's car, not even questioning the urge to follow her. Using his speed, he flitted along the streets, always keeping her taillights in sight, sticking to the shadows. He stopped at the corner when he saw her pull into a driveway on a quaint tree lined street. The house was dark, and he scowled. No one had left a light on for her.

When she opened the door and disappeared inside, Damon made his way to her house, observing her through the windows.

She turned on every light as she made her way through the living room and into the kitchen where she opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea and what looked like a plate of leftover chicken. After placing the plate in the microwave and setting the timer, she leaned against the counter, her eyes glassy and unfocused, lost in thought. The microwave chimed and she sat down at the table to eat her poor excuse for a dinner.

As she ate in silence, Damon realized she was s_urrounded_ by silence. Extending his senses, he could tell she was home alone. Not that it was unusual, her parents could be out of town, but the quiet seemed deeper somehow. Like the house was _always_ quiet.

Finished eating, the girl washed her plate and rinsed out her glass, turning off the lights as she left the kitchen and made her way upstairs. Damon waited for a light to come on the second level, and when he saw the warm glow coming from the corner window, he scaled the tree outside.

Her room surprised him, her tastes obviously more mature than that of other girls her age. The walls were mostly bare, with the exception of a couple of framed art prints. The focal point of her room appeared to be her dresser, which was positively covered with framed photographs, and her mirror, which was lined with so many prints tucked into the frame, only a small square of mirror was still visible in the middle.

Even more surprising was the fact that pictures appeared to be all of her family. Damon could spot a younger version of her in many of the pictures, clasping her mother's hand, sitting on her father's shoulders, dressed up for some event with her parents and a boy who must be her brother. His eyes tracked over the pictures, absorbing every detail.

There was not one picture in the cluttered mass of this girl with her friends, No picture of her with girls her age, no image of her posing next to some fumbling teenage boy before a dance. Not one.

Damon noted the oddity and returned his attention to her. She was sitting on her bed hunched over the journal in her lap, writing carefully. He lost track of time as he studied her features, the plump curve of her cheek, the slope of her nose, and the way her silky hair fell down her back. She was so like Katherine, yet so completely different.

Minutes or hours later, she closed her journal and let out a sigh as she switched off the light on her bedside table. The darkness was no hindrance for him and he watched with perfect clarity as she balled up on her side, on top her bed and fell asleep. She hadn't even taken off her shoes.

As the shock of seeing Katherine's doppelganger began to wane, Damon realized, with some distaste, that he was actually _sitting in a tree_ outside a girl's bedroom. He jumped to the ground gracefully and started the long walk home, his mind refusing to stray far from the girl.

The very next night he went back to the restaurant where he had seen her the night before. He didn't really have any sort of plan in mind; he just needed to see her again.

The restaurant was crowded and he wove through the crush of bodies, finding an empty table on the raised level next to a pool table. His eyes swept over faces and he smirked when he realized his entrance had garnered some attention. There was more than one girl eyeing him seductively. He paid them no attention and continued his perusal, eyes narrowing as he spotted her.

She was taking an order from a table of frat boys. They were jockeying for her attention, making asses of themselves. She seemed to be completely oblivious to the attention they were paying her, other than offering them a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes as she took their order.

Damon knew the instant she had sensed him; the moment she felt his eyes on her. Her body tensed slightly and she surveyed the area around her. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she continued with her work for another minute before stopping and looking around again. This time, her eyes swept over the expanse of the restaurant and Damon felt a rush of excitement when she spotted him.

He saw her sharp indrawn breath, watched her eyes widen and her pupils dilate. The smile that tugged at his mouth was involuntary and he nodded at her, amused when her cheeks flushed pink and she turned away, heading for the kitchen in the back.

Before she re-emerged a waitress came over to take his order. She was pretty and interested – unfortunately, he was not. When she came back with his drink, she slipped him a cocktail napkin with her name and number scrawled across it in purple ink. He barely noticed her presence; _she_ had emerged from the kitchen and was looking in his direction, watching his interaction with the aggressive waitress – _Vicki_ - according to the napkin. Vicki finally took the hint and left, clearing his line of sight.

She was openly staring at him now, her guileless eyes so different from the hungry stares women usually threw his way. Damon returned her gaze, inordinately interested to see what she would do next. The crack of china against the hardwood floor broke in on their moment, and he cursed inwardly when her eyes left his and she went to clean up the mess created by the booth full of drunken college boys. He slipped out of The Grill unnoticed and made his way to the square across the street. It was late and he waited patiently for her shift to end.

* * *

Of course, she had noticed him immediately when he had sauntered in. It had been impossible not to, he moved with a confident swagger that bordered on cocky and every girl in the restaurant had followed his lean muscled frame with her eyes as he made his way to a dark table in the corner. Although his features were obscured by shadow, Elena could tell that his face was just as appealing as the rest of him. In the dim light, she could discern the strong line of his jaw, the shape of his lips, and the inky black of his artfully mussed hair. His eyes, however, remained a mystery.

As she had moved from table to table, refilling glasses and taking orders, the feeling that she was being watched pricked at her senses. Glancing around casually, she had been startled to see _him_ studying her with undisguised interest. Although she could not see his eyes, she knew he was looking at her. Her suspicion was confirmed when his lips curved into a small smile and his head tipped in her direction, a barely perceptible nod.

Embarrassed that he had caught her looking at him, Elena swiveled her head to the side and made her way back to the kitchen to pick up an order. After delivering the food to table five, she peeked over to the darkened corner to see Vicki standing before him, effectively blocking him from view. Her hip was cocked to one side and she tossed her hair over her shoulder as she leaned over the table and slid him a slip of paper after taking his order. Vicki sashayed away, flicking her hips with every step. Elena was surprised to find that his eyes didn't follow the exaggerated movement but instead remained fixed in her direction.

This time, she didn't look away, but rather she brazenly stared back at him. They stayed locked in this silent battle of wills for endless seconds until the loud sound of a plate shattering on the floor broke the spell. Elena hurried to her station to clean up the broken glass and bits of food. As she brought the dust pan and broom back to the utility closet she couldn't resist casting a glance towards the corner where the handsome stranger was seated. Her shoulders slumped slightly when she saw the table was now empty. He had left and she was surprised at the flicker of disappointment that washed over her.

The night was winding down and she made her way over to the bar for a break. Without being asked, Matt slid a soda to her across the wooden bar.

She offered him a weak smile. "Thanks, Matt." She took a sip and watched as he filled drink orders, her mind still on the handsome stranger when Vicki appeared next to her, scowling.

"He didn't even take my number." She wadded up the napkin displaying her name and phone number and tossed it into the wastebasket behind the bar. "That's a bummer – he was hot. Plus, he looked rich."

For some inexplicable reason, Elena enjoyed this tidbit of information. The events of the last few years had taken their toll on her, and as a result, her dating life had fallen by the wayside. Elena had spent the first year of her college career completely immersed in studying. With Bonnie in California at UCLA and Caroline so busy with her sorority activities, Elena found herself alone more often than not. She had been disconnected from the social scene for so long; she had almost forgotten how thrilling it could be to share a stolen glance and a smile with a hot guy.

Working at The Grill this summer had pulled her out of her self-imposed solitude. She had slowly begun to re-establish the friendships that she had abandoned after the trauma she had endured, starting with Matt and Caroline. She had even gone out with Vicki once or twice.

Her break over, Elena lingered over the last of her chores, methodically wiping down the tables, carefully stacking chairs on the tabletops so they could mop. She was in no rush to go home to an empty house and she sighed heavily when she realized there was nothing left for her to do.

As she made her way home on quiet streets, that discomfiting feeling of being watched returned. Checking her rearview mirror, she found the street behind her deserted and she tried to shrug off the sensation.

She arrived home and heated up some leftover rice and vegetables she had made earlier in the week. It was a tasteless mush on her tongue, but she chewed and swallowed mechanically, barely registering its less than palatable flavor. After eating, she tried to watch TV, but the distinct impression that she was being observed began to tickle at the edges of her consciousness, making it impossible to concentrate on anything. With an aggravated sigh, she turned off the television and checked the front door again. Finding it securely locked, she made her way upstairs

Elena washed her face and brushed her teeth, and lay down on her bed without changing her clothes. The last image that flitted through her mind before she fell asleep was of the gorgeous stranger, watching her through half-lidded eyes.


	2. The Waiting Game

Disclaimer - I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note - Thanks is not a strong enough word for the amazing (and overwhelming) responses I received for the last chapter. I was dumbfounded by the number of reviews I received. Let's hope this one doesn't disappoint. This chapter was checked over by the amazingly awesome pandora03. She is made of win.

* * *

The next night found him back at that crappy little restaurant again. There was nothing else to do in this town anyway; this girl was simply an entertaining distraction. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. He knew he was only intrigued by her because of her uncanny resemblance to Katherine. Other than that, she seemed completely unremarkable. She was not shy, but quiet and from what Damon had observed, the girl was a bit of recluse. What sort of teenage girl has a house to herself and doesn't have her friends over?

Damon settled in at his preferred table, watching her, amused every time she snuck a glance in his direction. She wasn't quite as stealthy as she thought she was. His presence was obviously unnerving her, her face was flushed and her movements were jerky, almost clumsy. At one point she threw a glare at him over her shoulder and he laughed at the irritation on her face. Annoying her was fun. When he sensed she had reached the limits of her patience and was going to come over to confront him, Damon left. But not before getting her name from the waitress who had thrown herself at him yesterday. She surrendered the name reluctantly.

_Elena_.

As he drove home, he decided he would approach her tomorrow. Flirt with her. He'd turn on the charm until she was eating out the palm of his hand. When he had her where he wanted her, maybe he'd fuck her. Or kill her. Possibly both. Perhaps by destroying a girl who looked just like her, he'd finally get over the sting of Katherine's betrayal.

Damon had wasted well over a hundred years believing his true love was locked in a dank tomb beneath the wreckage of a church on the outskirts of town. He had spent that time planning, researching ways to free her. It had consumed his existence. That all changed, one day a few years ago, when he saw her free as a bird in New York.

After running into another dead end in Manhattan, he had decided to console himself by finding a tasty little morsel in a club. He chose a cute little socialite, too young to be in the club and drunk on Cristal, and steered her to a black corner in the already darkened club. Damon's fangs had been a millimeter from the white flesh of her neck when he saw her.

Katherine had been dancing seductively with some guy, smiling up at him and running her finger down his cheek before she whispered something in his ear. He watched, frozen in place, as she took his hand and led him to the VIP area. She emerged alone a few minutes later, looking well fed, and made her way to the back entrance.

Damon tossed his plaything aside carelessly and caught up with her as she stepped onto the sidewalk. She had been surprised to see him and he cringed as he remembered how he had cried, how he had tried to gather her in his arms, how he had tried to kiss her. He had been so deliriously happy to see her, to finally touch her after missing her for an eternity, that at first he didn't register the distance in her eyes, or the way her body stiffened when he crushed her to his chest.

Reality crashed in on him when he bent his head to kiss her and she turned her head to the side before extricating herself from his grasp. Her eyes flashed with irritation and she growled a harsh, "_Stop_," as she backed away from him.

Fury and resentment flared inside him as fresh as it had been on that day, and his fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he remembered the look on her face. A gut-wrenching mixture of amusement and pity as she laughed and informed him, "_I never loved you, Damon. It was always Stefan_."

* * *

He had been staring at her again.

She had come out of the kitchen, plates carefully balanced on the insides of her arms, and her step faltered when she felt someone's eyes tracking her movements. Certain she was mistaken; she cut her eyes to the left, surreptitiously glancing through the curtain of her hair. _He_ had returned and was seated in the same spot, observing her as he sipped at his drink. She tried to focus on her customers, but she could feel the weight of his stare pressing against her skin, like a wall of thickened air.

It had been flattering at first; after all, the guy _was_ gorgeous. But his focus never faltered, and each time she threw a covert glance to the table in Vicki's section, his gaze was honed in on her with laser precision. The intensity on his face was unnerving and the scrutiny made her usually graceful movements clumsy and slow. Elena's composure wavered briefly and she threw a spiteful glare in his direction. She could have sworn she saw him chuckle when she did it.

After spending an exhausting hour trying to avoid his gaze, she'd finally had enough. Heaving out a sigh, she turned abruptly, determined to march up to him and ask him what his problem was, only to find his table empty. He had disappeared again. She picked up his half-full glass of bourbon and headed over to the wait station to deposit it in the tray with the other dirty dishes.

Vicki appeared and bumped into her side, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "That guy asked about you."

Elena's voice was cautious as she asked, "What guy?"

Vicki chuckled and shook her head as she filled empty glasses with soda and iced tea. "Don't play dumb, Elena." She glanced at Elena's purposely blank expression. "The hot guy? That ridiculously gorgeous guy who has come in for the past two nights, sat up there," she gestured to his preferred corner, "and practically had eye-sex with you?"

Elena threw her head back and laughed at Vicki's assessment. "Eye-sex?" She sobered and gave in to her natural curiosity. "What did he want to know?"

"Just your name." She saw their manager heading in their direction and she whispered, "I think he liked you," as she picked up her tray and got back to work.

Despite the irritation she had felt earlier, a thrill raced through her veins and a small smile settled over her face. Plenty of guys asked her out, but Elena always politely declined their invitations. She simply wasn't interested in dating. She tamped down her involuntary excitement and drove all thoughts of the mystery man from her head. She _wasn't_ interested in dating. And she certainly was not interested in dating some mysterious guy who may or may not be a stalker. No matter how good looking he might be.

This was why when he appeared again the next night and resumed his visual assault, Elena confronted him.

She had been on edge all night, waiting for him to show up. But as the hours ticked by and he failed to appear, she had given up and relaxed into the monotony of her job. It was almost midnight, and the restaurant was nearly empty. Elena had been sitting in a booth, refilling the salt and pepper shakers when she felt him watching her. Her hands shook as she carefully screwed the silver lid back on to the salt shaker, the tiny granules that had escaped clinging to her now damp palms. Setting the shaker down, she turned her head slowly and almost flinched when she met his unwavering gaze. He was at the same table, cloaked in darkness, gazing at her again as if he'd never left that spot.

Breaking away from his penetrating stare, Elena wiped her hands on a dish towel and picked up her pen and order pad before she rose from the booth and walked to the opposite end of the bar. Her foot almost caught on the lip of the stairs leading to the area with the pool tables, but she corrected herself at the last moment, her stumble barely noticeable.

When she was a few yards away from his table, she raised her eyes to his and her heart stuttered chaotically in her chest. Truly seeing them for the first time, Elena realized he had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, a crystal clear shade of aquamarine made even more brilliant by his dark brows and the black fringe of his lashes. Those piercing blue eyes widened fractionally as she approached and she thought she heard him breathe in sharply before a confident smile graced his model perfect face. All thoughts of calling him out on his staring problem flew right out of her head.

* * *

Damon was not prepared for the surge of electricity that raced through his veins when their eyes met. The sound of her heart thundering in her chest and sweet smell of her skin took him by surprise.

For a moment he thought she was going to acknowledge their little game of traded looks and glares, but she seemed to stop herself. Instead she favored him with the generic smile that she gave all of her customers and said, "You're here sort of late - the kitchen is closed."

The sound of her voice sliced through him. Somehow, he had missed the fact that her voice sounded exactly like Katherine's. The revelation threw him off kilter. "Am I too late for a drink?"

She looked over at the bar, relaxing when her eyes settled on her friend, Matt "You're in luck, the bartender's still here. What can I get you?"

"Bourbon, please." She nodded and left, giving him the time he needed to collect himself. As he watched her smile warmly at the idiot behind the bar, Damon was reminded of the fact that she wasn't Katherine and the tension left his body.

In the brief time it had taken to her to get his drink, her demeanor had changed. Her eyes had hardened and her back was ramrod straight as she walked back to his table. After setting his drink in front of him, she met his eyes. Leaning forward slightly, her voice was tentative as she asked him, "Is there some reason you keep staring at me?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair, smirk firmly in place. "Was I staring?" he asked playfully, his head cocked to one side.

Her fingers tightened around the edges of the serving tray that was clutched in her hands. "Yes, you were," she said carefully. She paused before continuing, "And I would appreciate it if you would stop. It's making me uncomfortable." She pivoted on her heel and walked away before giving him a chance to reply.

Her blunt dismissal surprised him. There weren't many women who didn't enjoy his attention. Or his flirty banter. Undeterred, he slammed back his drink and threw a twenty on the table before heading to the parking lot to wait for her.

* * *

Elena fought the urge to glance in his direction as she finished her prep work for the morning shift. She grabbed her bag from her locker in the back room and released a shaky breath as she stepped out the back door, into the warm night air. For a moment she relaxed against the door and closed her eyes in an attempt to stem the flow of adrenaline that was still coursing through her system.

When she had brought him his drink and had asked him why he kept staring at her, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting him to say, but his cocky response had pissed her off. Working in a bar all summer and dealing with drunken guys had lowered her tolerance level when it came to smartass remarks. The arrogant smirk on his face hadn't helped either.

A hand landed on her arm and she yelped shrilly. Her panicked eyes clashed with the amused gaze of her own personal stalker. Angry now, she yanked her arm from his grasp and backed away from him. "You don't listen very well, do you?" she ground out.

His eyes danced and he chuckled lowly. "Following instructions has never been my strong suit."

She rolled her eyes at him and headed for her car.

"Elena."

The sound of her name spoken in his low voice stopped her and she turned to face him. She said nothing but raised her eyebrows, the question evident on her face.

He made his way over to her hesitantly, as if he was expecting her to bolt at any second. "I apologize for making you uncomfortable." He was now directly in front of her and those hypnotic eyes scanned her face. "It's just…you look like someone I used to know." A disarming smile spread across his face as he continued, "That's no excuse for my behavior. It was rude of me."

The apology seemed sincere and Elena softened ever so slightly, her tone almost friendly when she replied, "Well, whoever she is – I'm not her."

His laugh sounded almost bitter. "Oh, I see that now."

For the briefest instant, Elena saw a crack in his façade, and his eyes flickered with a hollow emptiness. It was a look she knew well, she saw it reflected in her mirror every day. For some reason, seeing that look on his face made her less wary and she smiled warmly, pleased when his blue eyes brightened in return. As he smiled at her, butterflies exploded in her stomach and Elena felt the heat rise to her face.

"Um..well, I should be getting home. Good night." She paused before reaching her car, and turned to face him. "You know my name. It seems only fair that you tell me yours." His lips tilted up on one side, the beginning of a smirk. For some reason, she now found it more charming than smarmy.

"Damon Salvatore."


	3. Right Place, Right Time

Disclaimer - I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note - Thank you to everyone who takes the time to leave a review - I certainly appreciate it. A special thank you to Vanessa, whose reviews I love, but I can never reply to them! This chapter was beta-ed by the very charming (and funny) pandora03. I'm planning on updating this story every 48 hours, so the next chapter will be up on Friday

* * *

He hadn't come in the next night. Or the night after that.

Elena was caught off guard by the by the fleeting disappointment she felt every time she looked at the table in the corner and found it empty. She hadn't realized how much he had occupied her thoughts until he stopped coming in. Anticipating his arrival or even being frustrated by his unabated staring had been a welcome change of pace. Considering that she didn't _feel_ much of anything nowadays, the curiosity and irritation she felt when he was around was a divergence that broke up the monotony of her colorless days.

After speaking to him that night in the parking lot, she had asked around and had been amused to find out that Caroline had already learned everything about him after "running into him" around town. Elena wasn't surprised as Caroline felt it was her duty to know about all the hot guys in Mystic Falls - there were so few of them to go around. Through Caroline, she had discovered that he owned the boarding house on the outside of town and that he was here to settle affairs after the death of his uncle.

Elena had the next two days off from work. The prospect of the long and empty hours stretched in front of her like an abyss, and she dawdled over chores at work, volunteering to mop the floor after the rest of the crew had called it a night. After carefully cleaning every square inch of the floor until it gleamed in the dim light, she set the alarm and locked the door behind her.

It was late and hers was the last car in the lot. She put the key in the ignition and turned it, only to have nothing happen. She tried it again, but the result was the same – her battery must be dead. Flipping open her phone to call Caroline, she paused when she noticed the time. It was 1:28 AM. Caroline had to be up early; she was working in the sheriff's office this summer, helping out her mother and Elena hated to pull her out of bed in the middle of the night. Just as she was bemoaning the fact that this damn town didn't even have a taxi service, a classic blue Camaro pulled up beside her.

"Car trouble?"

Elena bent to look in the open passenger side window, an involuntary smile tugging at her mouth when she saw who was inside. "I think my battery's dead. You wouldn't happen to have jumper cables, would you?"

Damon shook his head. "Nope. Do you need a ride?"

She looked around, they were completely alone. Her only alternative was to walk home. "What are you doing out so late?" she deflected.

"I was hoping something would still be open. Keep forgetting that everything closes so early here." Sensing her hesitation, he cajoled her teasingly, "Come on, Elena, I don't bite." Meeting his eyes, he saw she was considering his offer and he did his best to convince her. "It's not safe for you to walk home alone in the middle of the night." He leaned across the seat and opened the door for her, his voice serious. "You can trust me." And in that moment he truly meant it, as he had no intention of letting her walk home.

The conviction in his voice convinced her, instinctually knowing that she'd be safe with him. Elena got in the car and gave him her address, studying his profile in the darkened interior of the car as he pulled onto the street. She had almost forgotten how gorgeous he was. "I heard that you own the boarding house outside of town?"

He looked almost smug as he smiled at her. "I do. You were checking up on me?" For the first time he noticed that she was wearing a familiar perfume, something faintly rosy. He was unable to place the scent.

"I don't know if I would call it 'checking up'," she demurred.

"What would you call it then?"

"Friendly curiosity about the new guy in town," Elena replied with a laugh. "So…the girl I remind you of? Is she a friend? Ex-girlfriend?"

His smile was tight as he responded, "Something like that." While his voice was neutral, his tone let her know that more questions in that direction were ill advised.

"Sore subject?" His eyes never left the road as he nodded, and Elena could see the muscles flex in his cheek as he clenched his jaw. "Sorry I brought it up," she said softly.

He shrugged. "No need for you to apologize."

They had arrived at her house and Damon once again saw that it was dark. Empty.

She gave him a smile. "Thanks for the ride."

He was tempted to push the situation; see if she would invite him inside, but he decided against it. At least for now. "You're welcome," he said and watched as she climbed out of the car and headed up the path to her front door. She was halfway there when he saw that her front door was slightly open.

Elena gasped as she felt a sudden breeze and jerked to halt. Somehow, Damon had ended up in front of her and she almost walked into his back. How had he gotten in front of her? His arm swung around behind him catching her waist and moving her so that all she could see were the coiled muscles of his broad back strained under the fabric of his shirt.

His voice was low, practically a growl. "Your door is open."

She sucked in a breath as she peeked over his shoulder. He was right. Her heart plunged into her stomach at the thought of a stranger in her home. "I know I locked it."

"Would your parents have left it open?"

"No," she whispered her voice cracking over that one syllable. She cleared her throat quietly. "I live alone."

Damon pondered the strangeness of that for a fraction of a second, before he continued, "I'm going to check it out. Can I go inside?"

Her hands flew to his arm, keeping him in place. "No! There could be someone in there," she hissed, her fingers tightening around him, "we should call the police."

The innocent touch of her warm fingers curled around his forearm shouldn't have affected him as deeply as it did. The irony that _she_ was worried about _his_ safety twisted some part of his long ignored conscience. Turning to face her, his voice was calm as he looked into her panicked eyes. "I'm just going to take a quick look around." She still looked wary. "If I see or hear anything, I'll come right out," he lied. "Can I go inside?"

The iron-clad grip she had on his arm loosened as she nodded, "Okay."

Under different circumstances, this victory would have jubilant, but his thoughts were currently occupied with slaughtering whoever had been stupid enough to break into her house. He stepped over the threshold and extended his senses. The house was empty, but he sped through anyway needing to be sure. Although he was being quick, he couldn't help but notice the fine coating of dust that had settled over the furnishings in her parents and her brother's rooms. He paused briefly in Elena's room, seeing her journal on her nightstand. She'd notice its absence and he didn't have enough time to skim through like he wanted to.

"Damon?"

Elena's quiet voice stopped him from examining her room more closely and he went back downstairs to find her hovering in the doorframe. "There's nobody here," he told her.

She came in and flipped on the lamp next to the sofa. Her anxious eyes flitted over every surface. "It doesn't look like anything's missing." Her hand settled over her heart, an attempt to calm its thundering beat. She exhaled loudly, "I'm glad you were here. Thanks for checking."

He went to the door and examined the lock. There were tiny nicks and grooves surrounding the keyhole, nothing that anyone with normal vision would be able to see, but he saw them with perfect clarity. Someone had picked the lock.

"Maybe I did leave it open…" Her voice was uncertain and she stepped beside to examine the lock herself, turning the deadbolt and watching it operate exactly as it should. "I just can't believe I would be so careless."

She sounded almost disappointed in herself, but Damon didn't contradict her. No good would come of telling her that someone had picked the lock. It would only serve to frighten her and she'd call the police who would come out and look around, but ultimately do nothing other than to tell her to be careful. Besides, the only scent he caught in the house was hers; whoever had picked the lock hadn't come inside.

Damon shrugged, trying to downplay the incident. "Maybe you got distracted as you were leaving?"

"It's possible," she said hesitantly.

Attempting to lighten the mood and get some answers, he arched a brow at her. "So you live here alone? Aren't you a little young for a mortgage?"

She inhaled sharply and fought to keep the tremor out of her voice. "This is my family's house. I inherited it after my parent's died." It didn't matter how many times she had to say those words, it never got any easier.

He wanted to kick himself for not putting the pieces together on his own. Feeling like a jackass he apologized, "I'm sorry, Elena, I-,"

She swiped at a tear that was trying to roll down her cheek and waved off his apology. "You couldn't have known," she smiled weakly. "They died in a car accident when I was sixteen. My aunt moved in with me and my brother Jeremy after that." She took a deep breath before continuing, "And then they both died about eight months later."

"Another accident?"

Echoing his vague statement from earlier, she replied, "Something like that," her voice flat and her eyes distant. Not wanting to continue this conversation, she turned the focus back to him as she closed the door and sat down on the stairs. "What about you? What's your family situation?"

He couldn't remember that last time someone had asked him about his family. Most women were more interested in his ass or the kind of car he drove. He relaxed against the door and crossed his arms. "Hmmm…well my parents are gone as well, they died years ago, and I have a brother, but we aren't what you'd call 'close,'" he confided.

"What's he like?"

"Stefan? Younger, boring, bit of a martyr complex. Likes to brood."

Elena huffed out a quiet laugh, "He sounds fun."

He smiled in return, his voice steeped in sarcasm. "Oh, he's the funnest. He's currently on some spiritual quest in Asia somewhere. I think he read _Eat Pray Love_ one too many times."

She laughed fully at that and the sound made Damon smile in return. She looked completely different when her face lit up. Her smile was so different from Katherine's, which had always seemed to carry a bit of malice. Elena's was genuine. Warm.

She sobered and stood up, remembering her manners. "Can I get you something to drink? I have..." she paused, grimacing slightly, "nothing really. Water?"

He pushed off the door. "I'm fine, thanks. I should get going – you must be tired. Do you need a ride back to your car tomorrow?"

"No, I can have my friend take me. Thank you again." She wished there was some way she could ask him to stay for a little while without sounding needy. She still wasn't convinced that she had left the door open.

There was a little notepad on the desk by the door and Damon wrote his number down. He handed her the slip of paper. "Just in case your friend is occupied." He opened the door and leaned close, smiling down at her. "Or of you just want to talk. I've been told I'm a brilliant conversationalist."

So arrogant. She shook her head, smiling despite herself. "I'll keep that in mind," she replied.

"Night, Elena." He drummed his fingers against the door. "Lock up."

"Goodnight, Damon." She closed the door and set the deadbolt behind him.

Elena washed her face and brushed her teeth, and lay down on her bed without changing her clothes. After two late night incidents, the first being the phone call informing her that Jenna was in the hospital, and the second one only three weeks after Jenna's death, when a police officer knocked on the front door at three am, letting her know she'd now lost Jeremy too, Elena had stopped wearing pajamas to bed. Even though there was no one left for her to lose, she always seemed to be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

* * *

Damon watched from a distance until the light in her bedroom turned off before driving back to the parking lot to reconnect the battery in her car.


	4. Malfunctions & Misbehavior

Disclaimer - I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note - Wow! I'm very flattered and humbled by the number of people who are following this story and thank you again for all of the lovely reviews. This chapter was beta-ed by pandora03, who was very helpful in upping the cuteness quotient of this chapter. Many thanks, my friend. I may post chapter five tomorrow. Maybe ;)

* * *

Elena woke early the next morning, having never really fallen deeply asleep the night before. Every little sound had her wide awake, her ears straining to detect anything out of the ordinary, still on high alert after coming home to an open front door. She still wasn't convinced that she had left it open, but she also couldn't come up with an alternative explanation.

After tossing and turning for a few hours, she gave up on sleep and got dressed for the day. She downed two cups of coffee and headed out of her house, taking extra care as she locked the door. She planned to walk back to her car and if it still wouldn't start, she'd call a tow truck. As she walked slowly down the residential streets, she pulled out her phone and dialed her friend.

Caroline's raspy voice greeted her with a sleepy, "Hello?"

"Are you still asleep? I thought you'd be up and getting ready for work by now."

Caroline let out a loud yawn. "The sheriff gave me the day off. A birthday present."

Elena sighed, "It's Friday, Caroline. Your birthday is _tomorrow_."

"True. But my birthday _party_ is tonight and I have a lot to do to get ready."

"Such as?"

"The usual girl stuff – shop for a new outfit, primp for hours, etcetera…"

Elena laughed, "Well in that case, get up and meet me for an early birthday breakfast. I'll buy you pancakes and coffee and then we can go shopping for new outfits together."

"Really?" Caroline asked, surprise evident in her voice.

Elena felt a pang of guilt; she hadn't been a very attentive friend in recent years. Of course Caroline was surprised by her offer. "Yes, really," she replied firmly. "Meet me at the diner?"

"I'm getting dressed right now," Caroline said with a smile in her voice.

* * *

Elena watched as Caroline drowned her buttermilk pancakes in a sea of boysenberry syrup. "So are you going to call him?"

She had filled her in about her encounters with Damon and how he had given her a ride home the night before. "Um…no. I mean, my car started fine this morning. I don't see a reason to bother him."

The glass syrup dispenser hit the wooden tabletop with a bang and Caroline huffed out a disbelieving sigh. "Bother him?" She raised her eyebrows at Elena. "I'm sure he didn't give you his number just to be polite. _Call him_," she insisted before stuffing an enormous forkful of sodden pancakes into her mouth.

She squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm out of practice, Caroline. I can't just ask a guy out."

Caroline swallowed loudly. _"Yes_, you can," she replied firmly. "Invite him to my party tonight." She glanced up at Elena who still looked hesitant. Caroline could tell that she liked this guy; her eyes had lit up while recounting their interactions. She hadn't seen that look on Elena's face in years. She went for the kill, knowing just what to say to spring her friend into action. "If you don't go after that guy, I will."

Elena's eyes hardened and she scowled at her friend. "You don't play fair."

Caroline grinned unrepentantly. "You know what they say – all's fair in love and war."

"Fine. I'll call him," Elena relented with a sigh.

"You'll thank me for this later," Caroline promised, pointing her sticky fork at Elena with a knowing look.

* * *

She was running late. After spending the majority of the day shopping with Caroline and helping her set up for the party, there was very little time left for Elena to get herself ready.

Her frantic fingers were currently digging through her jewelry box, looking for the gold drop earrings that would be the perfect complement to the new dress she had bought for the occasion. Her eyes flashed to her alarm clock – 7:58. Damn. Damon would be here any minute and she was still barefoot and in her underwear.

Calling him had been easier than she thought it would be. She had kept the invitation casual and friendly, doing her best to make it sound like anything other than a date. Rejecting her offer to meet him there, Damon had insisted on driving, saying her car obviously couldn't be trusted.

The doorbell rang and Elena yelped, she didn't get much company and the foreign sound startled her. Abandoning the search for her earrings, she grabbed the dress from the bed and shimmied into it. The black dress was cute – a fitted corset top with a more demure skirt that ended above her knees. It was ladylike, with a sexy edge. She tugged at the zipper and was horrified when it only slid up a few inches before catching on something. Contorting her arms painfully behind her, she pulled at it with more force, but it wouldn't move.

The doorbell rang again. "Shit!" she muttered. Clutching the dress to her chest, she ran downstairs and opened the door reluctantly, hiding behind it and poking her head around to greet Damon with a red-faced smile. He looked ridiculously attractive. Dressed in black again, although this time he was wearing a blazer over his button-down. "Hi," she said sheepishly.

He smiled at the nervousness on her face. "Is everything okay?"

"No," she sighed in a resigned fashion as she opened the door more fully and waved him inside. "I'm in the middle of a wardrobe malfunction… my zipper is caught." She turned around. "It won't budge. Can you maybe…?" she trailed off.

He chuckled and waggled his eyebrows at her. "I'll do my best. Usually, I'm trying to get the zipper down, not up." Lifting her thick fall of hair away he heard her heartbeat accelerate when his fingers brushed her bare skin as he pushed the glossy mass over her shoulder. Momentarily distracted by the bare skin of her back and black lace of her strapless bra, he shook his head to clear it before gently pulling at her zipper. The thing wouldn't move a millimeter. He could have easily forced it, but it would have ripped her dress apart. While he wouldn't mind, he didn't think Elena would be too pleased. "What did you do to this thing?"

"I was in a rush and I yanked at it the wrong way."

"Hold on, let me get a closer look." He put his hands on her waist and pivoted her so she was now facing the door and he sat down on the stairs putting him at eye level with the predicament. He plucked at the delicate satin caught in the zipper, taking care not to tear the thin fabric.

Elena craned her neck, curious to see what he was doing. "How's it going back there?"

His warm palm pressed into the skin of her back. "Hold still, I've almost got it."

The feel of his hand against her lower back made her break out in goosebumps. She hoped he didn't notice. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be. This is the most fun I've had all day," he replied, his voice husky. He watched the blush on her face spread down to her neck and upper back. Her innocence was easily more beguiling than anything he had encountered in the past hundred years. The last bit of satin finally pulled free and he smiled. "Got it," he said triumphantly and pulled the zipper up smoothly.

"Thank you," she exhaled deeply and moved past him up the stairs. "Make yourself at home. I'll be back down in two seconds."

Damon milled around her living room, examining her family pictures. He could hear her muttering in her room, looking for her shoes and from the sound of it, making a mess of her closet. There was a small bookshelf in the corner of the living room and Damon perused its contents. One shelf was full of leather bound books, obviously antiques. He pulled one out at random and flipped it open. It wasn't a book – it was a journal. Familiar names jumped out at him and he looked at the inside cover. The deeply slanted handwriting had faded over the years, but he knew the name instantly. _Jonathan Gilbert_.

Elena must be descended from the founding families. He heard her soft footfalls on the stairs and replaced the journal quickly.

"Ready?" she greeted him with a bright smile.

"Mmmhmm." He opened the door for her. As she moved by him he caught that familiar rosy scent again and a hazy memory almost coalesced, but it vanished before he could pin it down.

* * *

Caroline's party was in full swing by the time they arrived and Elena was suddenly grateful that Damon was with her, his steady hand at her back helping weave her through the crowded dance floor of Mystic Falls' only club.

She spotted Caroline and turned to Damon. "I'm going to go say hi," she shouted over the blaring music.

He nodded and pointed to the bar. "Do you want something to drink?"

She shook her head and headed over to the birthday girl, who was holding court in a velvet booth. "Elena!" Caroline yelled, waving her arms theatrically, not realizing Elena had already seen her.

The tiara on her head was cocked to one side and it was obvious she was already well on her way to drunk. Caroline hugged her tightly and Elena couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "You look like you're having a good time."

"Oh, I'm having a _great_ time," Caroline clarified before downing a shot. She pointed to a girl in her booth. "Elena, this is my sorority sister, Heather." Elena waved politely and Caroline leaned close to her. "Heather's brother is the bartender here. And he likes me. Hence free birthday drinks." She handed Elena a test tube filled with some sort of pink concoction. "Bottoms up."

"Cheers." She clinked the little glass tube against Caroline's and tipped her head back, draining it. It was surprisingly good and she smiled before taking another one from the neon colored holder. She hadn't had a drink in ages. She realized she hadn't done _anything_ in ages and tossed back the second drink.

"Is he here?" Caroline yelled in her ear.

Elena nodded, "At the bar." Her eyes scanned the area, searching for him.

Caroline spotted him first. "Looks like he's got company." Damon was lounging against the bar, a glass of something in his hand, when a buxom blond sidled up next to him. He didn't spare her more than a passing glance, but Caroline could see a hint of jealousy in Elena's eyes. "You really like him, don't you?"

Elena said nothing, but kept her eyes on Damon. His head slowly turned in her direction, eyes finding her easily in the crowd. A slow smile spread over his face and in that instant, she knew Caroline was right. She did like him. Before she could talk herself out of it, she grabbed another shot and downed it. "I should get back to my….."

"Date?" Caroline supplied.

"Friend." She corrected. Even as the word left her mouth she knew it was a lie.

Elena pushed her way through the throng of bodies on the dance floor, grateful when she reached the relative calm of the bar. She sat on the stool next to him and bumped her shoulder against his. The alcohol was already coursing through her system, relaxing her. "Hi," she grinned up at him.

"There you are," he smiled at her. He had seen her slamming back shots and her eyes were already beginning to look a bit unfocused. This was going to be fun. He watched her gaze pass over the girl who had been hitting on him, looking at her with undisguised irritation.

Elena's eyes clashed with those of his admirer and the blond rolled her eyes at her and stalked off. Elena nodded at her retreating back. "I think she liked you," she whispered conspiratorially.

Damon loved the hint of jealousy in her eyes and raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey, can you blame her?"

She groaned before smiling. "Haven't you ever heard that modesty is an attractive trait?"

He shrugged. "That's only true for ugly people. Ready for that drink?"

She sucked in a breath. "I don't know…I've already had three."

"In that case, you definitely need another one." He flagged down the bartender and ordered them two shots of Patron. He handed her the salt shaker. "You ready?"

She looked the salt shaker in confusion. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Damon lifted her hand to his mouth and licked the inside of her wrist. "You need the salt to stick," he explained before shaking some over the area. "Now you lick off the salt, take the shot, and then suck on the lime. Got it?"

She nodded mutely, not really hearing anything, her mind still lingering on the wet slide of his tongue over her skin. He licked his own wrist and sprinkled it with salt. Nodding at her, they licked off their salty wrists in unison, tipped back their shots, and Elena fumbled for her lime, desperate to eradicate the foul taste from her mouth. She grimaced and shivered violently, before composing herself and grinning at him. "Again?"

* * *

Elena was drunk. She was a fun drunk, though – giggly and somewhat touchy feely. The latter attribute pleased him greatly. Her hand rarely left his arm and they had danced for hours. When her eyelids started to droop and her yawns came with increasing frequency, Damon knew it was time to call it a night.

As, he led her out of the club, she stumbled. He caught her easily and wrapped his arm around her waist, hauling her into his side to keep her steady. "I'm tired," she murmured apologetically.

He handed the ticket to the valet who hurried off to bring his car around. "I can see that." She yawned again and laid her head against his shoulder, prompting his fingers to tighten around her slender waist.

The valet returned with his car and Damon slipped him $10 before settling Elena in the front seat and buckling her seat belt. As he went to stand up, her fingers curled around the lapel of his jacket, keeping him in place. "Thank you for coming with me tonight, I had fun." Her glossy eyes slid from his amused gaze and settled on his mouth.

It would have been so easy to bridge the gap between them and kiss her senseless. He knew she wouldn't stop him, that she wanted him to. But he couldn't. Wouldn't. Not when she was drunk.

After being in her home last night and spending some time with her, Damon had abandoned his seduce and destroy mission. Despite having suffered such a great loss at a young age, she had managed to retain a sort of innocence that was in short supply these days.

Instead, he brushed another kiss over her silky cheek. "I had fun too." Pulling back, he closed the door behind her and huffed out a tense breath. After taking a moment to collect himself, he got in the driver's side and glanced at the beautiful girl in the seat next to him. She was out cold.

Her eyes remained closed and her breathing was still deep and even when he pulled to the curb outside her house. He fished her key from her glittery little purse before picking her up carefully. When he got inside, he contemplated leaving her on the couch, but it didn't look very comfortable. Deciding against it, he carried her up to her room and laid her on her bed.

Wanting to make her morning as painless as possible, he set a glass of water on her bedside table along with a bottle of aspirin. As he slid off her shoes, he looked up to notice that the locket she always wore was twisted awkwardly around her neck. Frowning, he unfastened the clasp and lifted it from her neck. As he went to set it on her dresser, the locket swung back and hit his palm, searing his skin.

Hissing, he flung it away from him. Damon looked at his hand in confusion. Her locket had burned him. He bent and picked up the offending object gingerly, pinching the clasp between his thumb and forefinger. Only then did he realize that the rosy smell hadn't been coming from Elena, it had been coming from her locket and he finally recognized it for what it was.

Vervain.

* * *

**Author's Note (The Sequel) **- Thank you to everyone who sent me ideas on where to find last night's episode - you guys are awesome! To show my appreciation I will post Chapter 5 tomorrow.


	5. Impulse Control

Disclaimer = I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note - I know I say this all the time but thank you for all of the amazing reviews. I'm just blown away by the responses this story has generated. I really appreciate it when someone takes the time to let me know what they thought of a chapter. Special thanks to Vanessa (sign in dammit! ;)) adorkabletwenty7 (cause you rock), LovexAndxFate (Meg - you are incredibly thoughtful) and to Tiffany0314 for reasons that she is well aware of =). Also THANK YOU to everyone who contacted me with suggestions of where to find the episode - I was able to finally watch it. And finally thanks to pandora03 for beta-ing for me. I need to buy her a pony or something.

* * *

Gorgeous butter-yellow sunlight was streaming through her windows, birds were singing in the trees and the combination woke up a very hung over Elena. "Damn birds," she mumbled as she stumbled out of bed and slammed the window shut before closing her curtains. When her room was once again bathed in semi-darkness she sat down heavily on the bed.

Why was she still wearing her dress? She stayed immobile for several moments, trying to recall last night's events. Bits and pieces wove together slowly. She remembered doing shots of tequila with Damon….he had licked her wrist. She looked down at the spot and a smile came unbidden to her lips. They had also danced at some point, but it was all a hazy blur. How had she gotten home and into bed?

The piercing chime of her cell phone had her scrambling for her purse, anxious to cut off the noise. In her delicate state, it was akin to a wailing siren. Caroline.

"Hello," Elena answered, her voice gritty.

"God, you sound worse than I do. So….what happened with you and tall, dark and handsome last night?" She sounded much too bubbly for Elena's liking.

She cleared her dry throat and spied the glass of water and the bottle of aspirin on her nightstand. Damon. "Um…we had fun…I think. Honestly, Caroline, I don't remember everything," she confessed before taking a long drink of water.

"Is he still there?" she whispered.

"No! He brought me home and got me upstairs – that's all."

"Really? Cause it looked like things were going very well. You were all over him," Caroline laughed.

Elena buried her head in her hand. "Oh, God. Did I humiliate myself?"

"No – you two just looked very…friendly. That's all," Caroline reassured her.

Suddenly, she remembered how he had buckled her into his car and how she had clutched at him. She had thought he was going to kiss her, but he pulled away, giving her a peck on the cheek instead. Heat rose to her face at the memory.

"I have to go Caroline," she went to hang up and realized what day it was, "Oh! And happy birthday! Officially."

Caroline chuckled. "Thanks, Elena."

She ended the call and groped for the bottle of aspirin, taking three rather than the recommended dosage of two. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror she froze, her hair was a tangled mess, mascara was smudged beneath her eyes and her necklace was gone. Her hands flew to her neck and her eyes darted over her room. She _never_ took it off. Seeing it on the nightstand, she exhaled deeply and promptly put it back on before heading to her bathroom.

After a blissfully long shower and some coffee, she started to feel human again. She needed to talk to Damon and doing it over the phone wasn't going to cut it. Elena wanted to be able to see his face when she asked him about last night and when she thanked him for getting her home safely.

Mystic Falls was a small town and she knew the general area where the boarding house was located. She stopped at Starbucks and picked him up a coffee, not wanting to show up on his doorstep empty handed. It seemed impolite somehow. The narrow road that led to his house was non-descript and Elena missed it at first, forcing her to circle back. It was set far back from the main road and the closer she got, the bigger the house looked. It was practically a mansion.

She parked her car behind his and knocked softly on the heavy wooden door. Thinking he probably hadn't heard her timid knock, Elena was raising her fist to the door again when it swung open. His hair was a messy riot but she barely noticed it after seeing the rest of him. He wore nothing other than a pair of dark blue jeans that hung low and unbuttoned and her eyes fell into the deep grooves over his hip bones.

"Well, good morning, Elena. Did you bring that for me or did you just come here to ogle me?" he asked with a very pronounced smirk.

Guilty eyes flipped to his. "Huh?"

"The coffee….?"

"Oh! Yes, this is for you," she handed him the cup with a sigh. "And for the record, I wasn't ogling you."

He shrugged. "Sure you were. Come on in."

She followed him into the house and he led her to large open room that appeared to be a combination of a library, a study and a formal living room. It was enormous and Elena was struck again by just how large this place was. "You live here alone?"

"Yep." He went to small drink cart and poured a little something extra into his coffee. "Why do you sound so surprised? You live alone." He lifted a glass in her direction. "Hair of the dog?"

She shook her head. "I live alone, but my house is normal sized. This place is gigantic."

"Well, my brother pops in from time to time. And my…uncle lived here until his death."

"I heard about that. I'm sorry."

"We weren't close." Damon sunk onto the couch and eyed her curiously. "So, what brings you by?"

She perched on the opposite end of the couch and willed her eyes to his face. It was a particularly difficult task given how the exposed planes of his chest and the firm muscles of his abdomen were beckoning her. "I just wanted to apologize for getting so drunk last night. I'm usually not much of a drinker."

Leaning closer, he told her, "Don't apologize for having fun, Elena."

He was right. It was the most fun she'd had in ages. "I did want to thank you for getting me home last night. The water and the aspirin were a nice touch," she added with a smile.

After he had put her to bed, Damon had scoured her house for any hints about what she might know. He found nothing. Other than what was in the journals and the vervain in her necklace, there was nothing to tell him definitively that she knew about vampires. For all he knew, the necklace could have been passed down to her as an heirloom. Briefly, he had considered compelling her to find out what she knew, but the only time she had been without her necklace was when she had been passed out drunk. Not exactly an ideal time to try to get answers.

"I had a hard time getting that necklace off though, the clasp is tricky," he said flippantly before taking a sip of his drink.

"Why did you even bother taking it off?" Her fingers wound around the locket but her tone remained light.

"It looked uncomfortable. I've never seen you without it; it must mean a lot to you." He could discern nothing from her expression which was decidedly blank.

"My uncle gave it to me."

There was a slight edge to her voice and Damon couldn't tell whether it was due to his line of questioning or if there was some significance to the fact that it was a gift from her uncle. He dropped the subject and rose from the couch. "Want some breakfast?"

She brightened immediately. "I'd love some, I'm starving."

* * *

After stuffing herself with pancakes and bacon, Elena sank back in her chair with a contented sigh. "I can't eat another bite."

Damon pulled her plate across the table and finished the last of her bacon. "What's on your agenda for the day?"

"I have to run a couple of errands and then…I don't know, do some laundry, clean the house…" she trailed off.

He huffed out a laugh, "I was in your house yesterday – it's spotless. Come over here and hang out with me tonight."

Dodging his invitation, she asked casually, "Um… so are you still tying up your uncle's affairs, or…?"

He heard the question she wasn't asking and answered that instead. "I'm staying here indefinitely, Elena. This is my home."

Her heart skipped a beat at his answer. She could feel herself drawn to him a little more each time she saw him and the thought that his time here was finite had been floating around the back of her mind for the past two days. It was especially terrifying for her because she had no desire to become involved with someone only to have them leave. She'd had her fill of being left behind. Hearing that he was staying, her resolve crumbled a bit and she gave him a small smile. "What time should I be here?"

"Seven," he grinned at her.

"Can I bring anything? Takeout? A movie?"

"Nothing. Just yourself." He rose from the table and put their plates in the sink.

Elena followed his lead and stood, hitching her purse over her shoulder. "I should get going. Thank you for breakfast."

She turned to walk out of the kitchen, but his hand closed around her wrist and in one fluid motion he turned her, whirling her into his chest. As her lips parted in a gasp, his mouth closed over hers. A soft whimper came from the back of her throat at the feel of his warm lips brushing over hers and her purse fell to the floor when his tongue stroked inside her mouth a moment later.

He tasted like the sweet syrup and the salty bacon of their breakfast and her hands skimmed over his shoulders before stealing into his hair. Kissing was a pleasure she had denied herself for too long and Elena had never kissed anyone quite like Damon before. Her only previous encounters had been with high-school boys. Damon was no high-schooler. He was a man who knew exactly how to slide his tongue over hers and nip at her lips with a skill that made her groan. While stroking her cheekbones with the rough pads of his thumbs, he tipped her head to one side, kissing her more deeply. She rose up on her tip toes, wrapping her arms around his neck and the action pushed her flush against him, her chest pressing into his.

Damon flinched and broke the kiss, sucking in a breath between clenched teeth. Lost in the sweetness of her mouth and the kittenish mewls from her throat, he had forgotten about her necklace. When her arms wound about his neck, her locket made contact with the skin of his chest, burning it.

Her glossy eyes were beginning to clear, and he recovered quickly, squeezing her waist and dropping a soft kiss on her swollen lips in apology. She was too flustered to notice the already fading mark on his sternum. A belated flush was rising to her face and he pushed her hair behind her ear, wanting to watch her olive skin tinge red.

"I should probably get going," she said softly. Her hands had been resting against his chest, her fingertips pressing into the muscle there. Her eyes drifted from his and she noticed where her hands were resting. "O…kay," she said haltingly, dropping them to her sides.

Oh, this was fun. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he had kissed a woman and it hadn't ended in sex. Kissing for the sake of kissing was something he never allowed. But with her…

When she had started to leave, the urge to keep her there was almost overpowering and Damon had never been one to deny his impulses. What he hadn't expected was how kissing her would make him feel. That it would make him _feel_ at all.

He kissed her forehead and released his hold on her waist. "Seven?"

"Seven," she confirmed before retrieving her purse from the floor. She was almost to the front door when she turned around. "I have to ask. Why didn't you kiss me last night? In the car?"

He crossed his arms. "You were drunk – it wouldn't have counted." He stepped up to her and those blue eyes bored into hers. "Besides, I wanted you to remember it."

Her eyes widened briefly, before she smirked at him and made her way out the door. "Trust me, I would've remembered," she said quietly before closing the door behind her.


	6. Homecoming

Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries nor do I own any of its characters. I just like to play with Damon and Elena.

Author's Note – Thank you for the continued amazing response to this story and thank you to my beta, pandora03 the quick turnaround on this chapter. Now, on with the show.

* * *

Damon had only been home for twenty minutes, just long enough to shower and change, when he heard a car turn down the road leading to the boarding house. A quick glance at the clock told him it was too early to be Elena and he headed downstairs to see who it was.

After Elena had left he had found his way to the only dive bar in town to pick up a little lunch. Easily picking up a trampy little redhead, he took her out back and bit through the skin of her neck, his tongue curling back in disgust when it made contact with the cheap perfume coating her throat. When her heartbeat dulled, he pulled away and compelled her into forgetting their little encounter. If he was going to stay in Mystic Falls for awhile, it wouldn't due to leave a pile of corpses in his wake.

His foot had just left the bottom stair when, instead of a knock, he heard the knob turn and his front door creak open. Someone had just made a fatal mistake.

He sped to the door, his fingers closing around the intruder's throat with deadly force. In the blink of an eye, he had slammed his visitor against the entryway with enough force to shake the wall.

Blue eyes met green and Damon sneered in annoyance, "Hello brother." He released Stefan's neck, and lounged against the opposite wall, adopting a casual stance. "When did you get back into town?"

Stefan rubbed absently as his neck, unruffled by Damon's greeting. "I've been in town for a few days."

"Really? And you didn't drop by to say hello?" Unhitching himself from the wall, he walked into the living room to fix himself a drink. "That almost hurts my feelings," he mock pouted.

Stefan followed him into the room, exhaling loudly. "Oh, come on, Damon, we both know you don't have feelings," he said with a condescending smile.

Damon's eyes sparked at that and his jaw clenched. "So, how was Indonesia? Or was it Tibet? My lack of interest has made me forgetful."

"It was China actually."

China? Did you sample the local cuisine?" He smiled wickedly before whispering, "I hear panda's delicious."

Stefan just smiled genially, and changed the subject. "Have you found someone to look after the boarding house?"

"No, but then again I haven't been looking." He drained his drink and set it down on the table with a loud thud. "I'm thinking I might stick around for awhile," he said as he strode over to his brother and slapped his shoulder with too much force to accurately be categorized as affectionate.

Stefan's eyes registered no surprise at this comment, but followed Damon as he put on his coat and headed out the door. "Where are you off to?"

Damon didn't turn back as he responded, "Wouldn't you like to know?" before slamming the door behind him

* * *

Elena had been soaking in the tub for over an hour. She needed the time to relax and calm her anxious nerves. Logically, she knew she had no reason to be nervous, she'd been on plenty of dates before. She and Matt had dated all through high school, but there was something different about Damon. He was the most self-possessed person she had ever met. Every movement and action was deliberate, he operated with a perfect unruffled confidence that Elena had never before encountered. It was simultaneously intriguing, and, if she were being honest with herself, somewhat intimidating.

When the water began to cool and her fingers pruned, Elena got out of the tub. She had just wrapped herself in a towel when the doorbell rang. Caroline. She was coming over to loan her a couple of tops as she was severely lacking any date appropriate clothing. She hustled down the stairs and opened the door, yelping when she saw Damon on the other side.

His eyes slid over her from top to bottom, devouring the acres of bare flesh that were on display. "Not that I'm complaining, but do you always open the door half naked?" he quipped.

"You're one to talk." She clutched the towel tighter and stepped back, ushering him inside. "I thought I was supposed to meet you at your house….?" she trailed off, confused.

"You were. Change of plans." There was no way Damon was going to let Stefan get as much as a glimpse of Elena, much less allow him to be in the same room with her.

She nodded. "Okay. Just give me a few minutes to get dressed." Leaving him to entertain himself, she darted back upstairs After calling Caroline to tell her not to come over and to discuss clothing options, she hung up and pulled on her favorite jeans and a long sleeved v-neck top. It was decidedly casual, but it was the best she could do on such short notice. She brushed out her damp hair and headed back downstairs to find Damon going through her refrigerator. "Hungry?" she asked.

He head swiveled up her word. "Starved," he replied. He had heard her conversation with her friend, charmed by the notion that she had been planning to dress up for him. He was happy that she hadn't had a chance to. Katherine had perpetually been made-up, powdered and curled. Not once could he recall having seen her in the state Elena was in, fresh faced with damp hair. Somehow, in doing nothing, she was infinitely more beautiful than Katherine had ever been. Leaning over the refrigerator door, he pressed a warm kiss against her lips and was pleased when her hand came up to rest against his jaw, keeping him there a bit longer.

She pulled back with a smile. "So, why the change in plans? I was hoping to get the grand tour. Maybe see some embarrassing childhood pictures…"

"Some other time." He straightened and closed the door before crossing his arms and leaning against it. "My brother showed up unannounced. It's best for both us if I'm elsewhere," he informed her.

"Back from his spiritual retreat already? Maybe I could meet him sometime."

Damon tensed before shooting her a dark look. "No," he said tightly. He saw her flinch and instantly regretted his knee-jerk reaction. Forcing a smile he closed the door and said, "Since you have nothing here, do you want to go out to eat?"

Relieved that the awkward moment had passed she smiled in return, "Actually, could we order in? After last night, I was kind of looking forward to a quieter evening."

"Sure." This was actually better. Now that he wouldn't have to spend the evening worrying about running into Stefan, he could focus on her.

They had ordered a pizza and ate it in the living room while flipping channels. When they were finished, Elena took the box into the kitchen and came out to find Damon studying a picture on the wall. "So you were a princess…what exactly is your brother supposed to be?"

She laughed and stood beside him. The picture was from the Halloween when Jeremy was six and she was seven and it was one of her favorites. She had taken her brother's plastic pumpkin and was rifling through it with a grin while Jeremy wailed in the background. "He was Harry Potter that year. It's hard to tell because he had already taken off the red and gold scarf." Her finger grazed over her brother's crying face with a sad smile before she turned to Damon. "So why exactly don't you and your brother get along? I get the feeling it's something more than just a personality conflict."

He decided to just tell her the truth. As much as he could, at least. He sat down heavily on one side of the couch and exhaled deeply. "You're not wrong. There was a girl; actually it was the girl you look like – Katherine. We both loved her and it got… complicated."

Elena sat on the coffee table facing him. She didn't want to pry, but she couldn't help but be curious about the woman he had loved. "What was she like?"

He huffed out a humorless laugh and gestured to her. "She was beautiful, like you, and charming. Katherine knew how to have fun." Damon smiled bitterly, "However, unlike you she was also vain and selfish and cruel. She played us against each other, made us both fall in love with her…"

"What happened?"

"Turns out, I was nothing more than a plaything she used to pass the time." He smiled casually. "She loved Stefan."

She'd seen that look on his face before - that carefully controlled mask of benign neutrality. It did little to fool her; she could sense the hurt buried beneath his words despite his level tone. Suddenly, Elena understood why he'd become so tense in the kitchen earlier. Though to her it seemed like a ridiculous notion, it was only natural that he'd be hesitant to introduce her to Stefan if she looked so much like Katherine. Wanting to allay his fear, she leaned forward, "I'm not Katherine." Moving closer, her hands cupped his face. "And I can't imagine how someone could meet you and then fall in love with someone else," she whispered against his lips before kissing him softly.

It took less than two seconds for Damon to turn her sweet kiss into something more passionate. Hauling her from the coffee table into his lap, one hand slid under her hair to her neck and his other landed on her hip. He groaned when her silky tongue slid into his mouth and her fingernails scratched at his scalp. They kissed for long moments occasionally breaking away to give Elena time to breathe. He licked a wet path up her neck to her ear and she shivered violently before dragging his mouth back to hers.

He could feel her becoming restless; her hips were circling, looking for friction. Happy to oblige her, he pulled her closer and ground his erection into her center. She pulled away with a heady gasp, before a long moan tore from her throat and her hands landed on his chest, kneading the muscle beneath her fingertips. Her glossy eyes slid to his and she was momentarily stunned by the look on his face.

The beautiful blue of his eyes had almost disappeared, pushed back to a thin band circling his dilated pupils and he was breathing heavily as he stared into her eyes. No one had ever looked at her like that before. It was more than lust, it was outright need.

She closed the gap between them slowly, running her tongue over his full bottom lip before catching it in another drugging kiss. Her hands went for the buttons of his shirt, popping them open with a speed that surprised him. When he felt her fingers trail down the length of his chest before running over his stomach, his control snapped. He had been trying to take this more slowly, but he could only be pushed so far.

Breaking the kiss, his hands went to the hem of her shirt. She gave him a short nod and he pulled it over head, dropping it to the floor. For a moment, she fleetingly wished she had worn her fancy underwear, but judging from the look on Damon's face, he was more than pleased with her simple white bra. He placed a wet kiss on the top of each breast running his hands up her sides to cup them and squeeze softly, his thumbs brushing over her nipples. Her eyes closed and her head lolled to one side at the attention. She felt warm hands reach behind her and settle on the clasp, when suddenly she felt the air swirl around her and the sofa cushions at her back.

Gasping, she opened her eyes to find Damon at the window, his body coiled with tension as he looked outside. "Damon…?"

"I heard something outside." A distinct crack had sounded directly under the side window. Someone had been watching them.

Scrambling, she clutched her shirt to her chest and stood behind him at the window. "Can you see anything?"

The feel of her warm breath fanning against his bare back had Damon feeling mutinous. He could joyfully murder whoever had ruined their moment. "No." He turned and ran his hands down her arms, soothing her. "It was probably nothing."

Elena turned around and put her shirt back on, suddenly shy after their unexpected intimacy. Turning back around, she was disappointed to see that Damon was getting dressed too. "That's two nothings in one week," she said.

Hearing the apprehension in her voice, Damon sighed. "Maybe we could get you better locks tomorrow. Upgrade your deadbolts, add a security chain?" He had a feeling that these things would do little to dissuade whoever had been poking around Elena's house. But it would make her feel safer while he hunted down and eviscerated the guilty party.

"Okay." Casting her pride aside, she blurted out, "Do you want to stay the night?"

He smirked and slid his hands around her waist. "Why, Elena, are you propositioning me? This is only our first date," he finished, smiling smugly.

She rolled her eyes and swatted at his arm. "I am _not_ propositioning you. I just don't want to stay here alone tonight. I'll feel better once the new locks are installed."

He kissed her flushed cheek and chuckled lowly, "It's almost too easy to rile you up."

She extricated herself from his grasp with a smile and went to the kitchen to turn off the lights. "Was this a date? You had asked me to 'hang out', not go on a date," she said in a teasing voice.

"Well, I bought you dinner and got to second base. I think that qualifies as a date," he retorted as he checked the front door and turned off the television.

"I'm sorry I asked," she said as she pushed him up the stairs ahead of her.

They headed into her room and Elena turned on the lamp next to her bed. "I'll be back in a second." She left Damon in her room and went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. When she emerged, he was already in her bed, shirtless. Elena made her way over to the bed and pulled back the covers. She went to get into the bed, when she noticed Damon looking at her oddly. "What?"

"You can put on your pajamas, Elena. I know how to control myself," He smirked, "I won't maul you, I promise."

She froze, forgetting how strange her habit was. "Um, it's not you…I always sleep like this."

"Isn't that uncomfortable?"

"I guess so, I don't really think about it." Seeing the questioning look on his face, she exhaled loudly. "Both my aunt and my brother died in the middle of the night. I just like to be ready…in case…," she trailed off.

Watching her blink back tears, guilt unfurled in Damon's chest. This girl had lost everyone in her family before the age of eighteen, yet earlier tonight she had been consoling him. He tipped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Elena, _nothing_ is going to happen tonight." And he meant it with every fiber of his being. He'd rip someone apart for so much as making her frown.

Hearing the conviction in his voice, she believed him. She nodded and went to her dresser pulling out a pair of shorts and a tank top. When she came out of the bathroom for the second time, Damon whistled.

"Shut up," she said affectionately before carefully lifting the covers and sliding in beside him. It was a strange feeling, having a man in her bed. She and Matt had always limited their escapades to his house; it had been easier with his absentee mom. She scooted closer to Damon who immediately wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Feeling his bare legs hit hers, Elena stiffened. "Are you naked?"

"No," he breathed into the back of her neck, "but I can easily remedy that."

"No!" she said sharply. "That's fine." She wasn't quite ready to take that step with him. It took her a minute to relax, the tension flowing out of her body slowly.

Damon's hand tightened around her waist. "Aren't you more comfortable now?"

As his warmth seeped into her and his breath ruffled the fine hairs at the nape of her neck, she answered him with a sleepy, "Yes, I am," before drifting off.

* * *

Author's Note Part Two - *dodges rotten tomatoes* Yes, Stefan is back. He is back for a specific purpose and will only be around for a few chapters. If it helps, he is the catalyst for something that ends up bringing Damon and Elena closer together.


	7. Fear Factor

Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its amazing characters.

Author's Note – I am so sorry for the delay everybody! I'm under a deadline at work which has had me working late every night. Things should be leveling off this week and I'll get back to more frequent updates. This chapter is unbeta-ed as I'm not going to ask my beta to get up in the middle of the night to check my grammatical errors. All mistakes are mine. Part of this chapter was inspired by the wonderful book The Pace. If you read it, I'm sure you'll recognize it =)

* * *

Elena had been up for over an hour, having been awakened when Damon shifted behind her. For a split second, she had forgotten that he was in bed with her, but the night's events rushed back to her and she relaxed her suddenly tense muscles. He was pressed against her back and Elena was struck by the realization that having him there felt perfectly natural. How could she be so comfortable with someone she had known for less than a week?

She couldn't believe how quickly things had progressed between them downstairs. Elena had only meant to kiss him softly – a comforting kiss to soothe the obvious turmoil he had been feeling. But when her lips touched his, her body had ignited and it had been impossible for her to get close enough to him, to touch him enough. She_ wanted _him. If Damon hadn't heard something outside, she wasn't sure they would have stopped at all. Her loss of control frightened her; it was unlike her to get physical so quickly.

Elena turned over slowly in the cocoon of Damon's arms, careful not to wake him. Her eyes skimmed over the planes of his face, the sharp lines of his cheekbones, his strong jaw. Though he was obviously beautiful, his face had little to do with why she was so drawn to him. While she barely knew him, in Damon she recognized a loneliness that mirrored her own. With the exception of his brother, he was essentially alone in the world. Elena couldn't help but feel close to him, as there was no one in her life whose circumstances were so similar to her own.

He was an irresistible force and she could feel herself being pulled closer with every moment they shared. She was on the edge of a precipice and it would be almost too easy to get lost in him. Elena knew she could so easily get used to the feel of his arms around her, get so used to _him_, that it would shatter her if he changed his mind and decided to leave Mystic Falls. She had no idea how Damon felt about her and she refused to let herself fall over the edge into the unknown.

She exhaled a shaky breath and shifted away from the comforting circle of his arms. It was impossible to think about her emotions logically while she was so close to him. As the distance expanded between then, Elena saw Damon's brow knit together and he reached for her reflexively in his sleep. Finding her waist, his hand pulled her back to his chest, keeping her closer than she was before. His leg slid between hers and his arm curled around her back with a soft grunt.

Giving in, she buried her face in his neck and inhaled deeply, warmed by the smell of his skin. In Damon's arms, she found the only peace she had known since her family died. It terrified her.

* * *

Damon woke up alone. He could hear Elena in the kitchen and wondered how long she'd been up. Reaching out, he slid his hand over her side of the bed and was disappointed to find the sheets cool. Throwing on his clothes quickly, he made his way downstairs.

He found her in the kitchen, hunched over a magazine, her hand curled around a cup of coffee. He swooped down to plant a kiss on her cheek and as his lips grazed over her skin, she stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"Morning," she said quietly, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and took the seat opposite her. "How'd you sleep?"

Elena met his eyes for half a second before looking away. "Good."

She had been so affectionate and open with him last night, even inviting him into her bed. At one point, he had woken briefly to find their limbs completely intertwined and her head resting against his chest. She had looked so content. What had changed in the past few hours? He could almost feel the cool distance growing between them. Not one to avoid an issue, Damon watched her intently as he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Again, her eyes flitted to his before returning to her cup. "No," she said quietly. She paused before continuing hesitantly, "Just wondering who or what was outside last night."

Damon nodded. She wasn't telling him the truth. There was more to her reticence than worrying about who had been lurking outside and he could see it in her eyes. It went against his every instinct not to pry the truth out of her and his eyes landed on her necklace, oddly grateful for its existence. At the very least, everything that happened between them would always be real. "In that case, do you want to go to the hardware store? I can install the new locks for you."

She gave him another half-smile. "Thanks. I'd appreciate that." They finished their coffee in relative silence before leaving. They walked out the front door and her eyes rounded when she saw what he was driving. "Whoa…did you get a new car?"

Clicking the alarm off, he opened the door of his black Ferrari for her. "No, it's not new. I've had it for awhile."

She slipped into the glossy car carefully and Damon shut the door behind her. As he settled into the driver's seat she asked, "How many cars do you have?"

He smiled as he started the car. "Just the two."

As he steered the car into the street, Elena watched the muscles of his arm flex and relax as he shifted the gears. "I've always wanted to learn how to do that," she murmured absentmindedly.

He raised his eyebrows. "Learn how to do what?"

She glanced up from his arm with a genuine smile and gestured vaguely to the gear shift. "Oh, um, how to drive a stick shift. I never learned how."

This was the most animated she'd been since they had woken up and Damon pounced on the opportunity, downshifting suddenly before taking a sharp left.

Elena's hands flew to the dashboard to steady herself. "What are you doing?"

Damon pulled into the empty parking lot of the high school and opened his door. "I'm going to teach you how to drive a manual shift." He went around to her side and opened her door. "Go on, we're switching seats."

She had no idea how much a Ferrari cost, but she knew they weren't cheap. "Thanks, but I don't want to destroy your car. On my salary, I'd be waiting tables until I was seventy to pay for the damage."

Damon laughed and glanced around. "Elena, we're in an empty parking lot – you won't destroy my car." He leaned close and smirked at her. "Besides, I'm an excellent teacher." He took her hand and gently tugged her from the car. "Come on, switch seats."

"What about the hardware store?" she asked, stalling.

He released an amused sigh. "We have time to do both."

"Okay," she grumbled, climbing out and heading around the car, "You asked for it."

As she settled into the front seat, Damon instructed her about the importance of having the clutch pushed in before she started the car and to keep her other foot on the brake. "Now start the car."

Elena turned the key gingerly and the engine purred to life. "Okay, now what?"

"Just keep your foot on the brake and the clutch pushed in" He picked up her hand and set it on the knob, settling his own over hers. Damon spent several moments showing her the positions for the gears and when she could do it smoothly on her own he had her put the car into first gear. "Now, I want you to slowly release the clutch and when you feel the car start to move push it back in. And keep your foot on the brake."

Elena exhaled and slowly released the clutch. As the car began to gently roll forward she panicked, stomping on the brake. The car jerked to halt and stalled. "Dammit," she muttered. "I forgot to put in the clutch."

Damon stifled the urge to laugh. "That's okay, just try again. Just remember – clutch in, then brake."

"Clutch in, then brake – got it," she nodded and started the car again. She slowly released the clutch again and when the car moved, she pushed the clutch back in and pressed the brake. The car stopped, but did not stall and she grinned at him, pleased with herself.

"Do it again," he motioned.

When she repeated the action a few more times, Damon felt she was ready to move on. "Okay now this time when you feel the car start to move, take your foot off the brake and _very gently_ ease onto the gas, while releasing the clutch all the way."

"Okay." She eased off the clutch and when the car moved she pushed on the gas pedal, shooting them forward. She shrieked and stomped on the brake, jerking them to an abrupt halt and stalling the car again.

Not able to hold it in anymore, Damon burst out laughing. "You forgot to push the clutch in!"

"Shit!" She was irritated with herself for a moment, but then started laughing as well. "I wasn't expecting it to go so fast!" she explained.

"This is a sports car, Elena; you just need a light touch on the gas pedal." He stopped laughing and sat up straighter in his seat. "Try it again."

She tried again, successfully this time. After several tries, she had made it all the way across the lot and he taught her how to reverse. Eventually, she became comfortable enough to get the car into third gear and Damon just let her weave around the lot, enjoying the smile on her face.

With some surprise, Elena noticed the time and eased the car to a graceful stop. "I can't believe we've been doing this for two hours! I have to be at work this afternoon," she said with a frown, genuinely disappointed. She'd been having so much fun, she had completely forgotten about her apprehension from this morning. Spending time with him was just effortless. She turned to face him. "Thank you for this, you actually _are_ an excellent teacher," she gently mocked.

Smiling lasciviously, his voice was low as he told her, "Oh, you have no idea. I can show you all sorts of things."

She rolled her eyes at his cockiness. "I'll bet you can," she laughed dismissively before turning away from him and opening the door. Damon stopped her, holding her wrist softly. The playful expression on his face had disappeared, replaced by an intense gaze that held her captive.

His voice was quiet when he asked, "Tell me the truth, what was wrong this morning? I know it was something more than our late night visitor."

Closing the door softly, she reclined against the seat and shook her head. She both loved and hated that he already knew her well enough to tell that she'd been holding back with him. "I don't know. I'm afraid that things might be moving too quickly between us…" she trailed off.

The tension he'd been holding onto all morning dissipated at her confession. He'd been anticipating the worst "Why does that scare you?"

His crystalline eyes were drilling into her and she had to close her eyes to block it out. She huffed out a humorless laugh and decided to just tell him the truth and let the chips fall where they may. "I…," she swallowed nervously but continued, "I already care about you, but I hardly know you –"

Damon cut her off, "Elena, you _do_ know me." He wasn't lying to her, he'd already told her more about himself than anyone he'd met in the last hundred years. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her everything, show her what he truly was, but he just as quickly dismissed the idea. He couldn't risk losing her. Still holding her arm, he slid his thumb against the soft skin of her inner wrist. "You do know me," he repeated in a husky voice before catching her lips in a firm kiss.

As his mouth met hers, he realized he had crossed an invisible threshold and there would be no turning back. Hearing her say that she cared for him had shifted something inside of him and letting go of her was no longer an option. It was a colossally selfish move on his part, but he couldn't bring himself to care. She belonged with him.

It was short kiss, but the feeling behind it shook Elena to her core. She rested her forehead against his and gave up any attempt to resist his gravitational pull when she looked into his eyes. The logical part of her brain may still have had some reservations, but her heart had no such qualms. Her heart knew what it wanted. It wanted Damon.


	8. Revelations

Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any its characters. *sigh* That depresses me.

Author's Note – Thank you for the continued overwhelming responses I've received. It's very gratifying and very humbling. I try to respond to all of my reviewers, so I apologize if I missed anyone. I'll catch you eventually – just ask Vanessa ;)

This chapter covers a lot of ground – lots of plot and a few answers to some questions that have been floating around in your reviews. Thank you to my lovely friend/unpaid beta pandora03 (I'll buy you something pretty in L.A) for checking this over for me.

* * *

Elena was exhausted.

After her driving lesson, they had gone to the hardware store and Damon had installed the new locks, while she rushed around getting ready for work. Realizing she was going to be late, Damon gave her the new key to the front door and offered to drive her to work. She could have easily driven herself, but accepted his offer with a smile. If he dropped her off, he would have to pick her up and Elena liked the thought of having something to look forward to during her shift at work.

That had been almost eight hours ago, and her shift had flown by. Vicki was out sick with a bad cold and Elena had been covering double her usual number of tables. As the night began to wane and the crowd lessened, she began to feel how tired she truly was. She poured herself a glass of water and as she drank it she discovered that her throat was sore. Pressing her hand to her forehead, she was annoyed to find that it felt a bit warm. The last thing she wanted was to get sick and she silently cursed Vicki, blaming her for the impending illness.

She huffed out an aggravated sigh and set her water down. As she returned to her section, she noticed a guy sitting at a table alone in the corner. _Damon's table_, she thought with an inward smile as she headed over and greeted him brightly, "Hi. What can I get you?"

His eyes were kind, but they clung to her in a way that felt overly familiar. "Coffee, please. Black."

She forced a tight smile, "Be right back with that." Elena grabbed a mug from the wait station and filled it neatly. As she walked back, her eyes swung to the clock over the bar. Damon would be here in less than an hour and the knowledge put a tiny spring in her step. She set the coffee down and followed up with the requisite, "Can I get you anything else?"

Shaking his head softly, he picked up the cup and answered, "This is fine. Thanks." Elena turned to leave when he called out to her quietly, "You're Elena, right?"

Her guard was up instantly, the events of the past few days making her cautious. Her voice bordered on cold as her spine straightened. "I am. Do we know each other?"

He looked down and smiled to himself. "In a roundabout way. I'm Damon's brother."

"Oh," her posture relaxed and she gave him a warmer smile. "You must be Stefan. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand and he shook it, his fingers curling around hers. As she pulled her hand back, the tips of his fingers brushed over her palm and the action unsettled her.

He looked nothing like Damon. Though he was handsome, he didn't possess the startling beauty and innate sensuality that seemed to pour unchecked from his brother. "Are you meeting Damon here?" she looked around as she asked, hoping that he would be coming earlier than she had expected.

"Mmm," he shrugged noncommittally with a small smile. "I just wanted to introduce myself. How long have you and Damon been seeing each other?" His tone was friendly, but Elena sensed something lurking beneath his benign question, like her answer carried more importance than it should have.

It was on the tip of her tongue to blurt out that they'd only known each other a week, but something stopped her. "Not long," she told him with a defensive edge in her voice, "but it feels like I've known him forever."

Stefan's eyes widened at her answer and his hand tightened around his cup as he shook his head. "It may feel that way, but you haven't. You really don't know him at all."

The defensiveness that she was already feeling amplified ten-fold at his assertion. She was beginning to understand why Damon had reacted so badly the previous night when she had suggested the possibility of meeting his brother. His words from this morning flashed through her mind, imbuing her with confidence. "I _do_ know him," she asserted. "And I really don't see how what goes on between me and your brother is any of your concern."

Stefan stared at her with a surprising amount of intensity. "It _is_ my concern, Elena. You need to stop seeing him."

She flinched at his words, taken aback. "Excuse me? What gives you the right to say something like that?" she whispered incredulously.

"Damon can be," he paused, searching for the right word, "dangerous."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at his statement. She'd never felt as safe with anyone as she did with Damon. "That's ridiculous. No wonder he didn't want me to meet you," she murmured. Fixing him with a detached stare she said. "I have to get back to work," and walked away before he could respond.

* * *

Damon arrived at The Grill shortly before Elena's shift ended. He parked in the mostly empty lot and walked around to the front.

"Damon."

He turned to see a young girl leaning against a wall, regarding him with a cool confidence that was startlingly out of place on someone so young. She looked familiar and he flipped through his mental Rolodex, trying to place her. "I know you….," he said quietly, narrowing his eyes at her.

"You do," she confirmed. "You just haven't seen me since 1864."

Recognition snapped into place. "Annabelle?"

She pushed off the wall and closed the distance separating them. "It's just Anna now," she corrected lightly. "I'm surprised you even remember me, you were always so wrapped up in Katherine," she said with a smirk.

Damon shrugged, ignoring her little dig. "What are you doing back in town? Come to visit your mother's grave?" he retorted with a nasty smirk of his own.

She smiled fully at his attempt to bait her. "Hardly. I'm here for the same reason you are – Elena."

Without hesitation, Damon smashed her into the brick wall, his hand clamped around her throat keeping her in place. "What do you know about Elena?" he growled out murderously.

Utterly nonplussed, Anna wrapped her hand around Damon's forearm and placidly crushed his bones before knocking him to the ground with enough force to create a fissure in the blacktop. "Have you forgotten that I'm older than you?"

He sprang to his feet quickly, shaking his arm. The rapid healing felt like pins and needles against his skin. "I don't remember you being such a bitch," he said with a touch of admiration before he leveled her with a glare. "I'll ask you again - what do you know about Elena?" he bit out.

Anna smiled and relaxed back against the wall, crossing her arms. "A hell of a lot more than you do." The smile dropped from her face and her voice became deadly. "I saw you with her last night, Damon. She's not Katherine – _leave her alone_," she ground out.

"_You_ were at her house last night?" He covered the pavement in three long strides and peered down at her menacingly. "Did you break into her house last week?"

Looking at him dispassionately, she answered his questions in a mechanical fashion, "Yes, I was at her house last night and _no_, I did not break into her house."

"How do you even know her, and furthermore, why the hell do you care?"

Anna was perfectly still as she glared up at him. "_I owe her_." Her veneer of calm shattered as she shouted in his face, "I owe her brother!"

Damon stepped back and cocked his head in confusion. "You knew her brother?"

"_Yes_. And he wouldn't want to see his sister used as a human substitute for your poor excuse of an ex-girlfriend," she spat at him, eyes blazing.

Furious now, Damon got back in her face. "Elena is _not_ a replacement for Katherine. I got over that bitch when I saw her in New York a few years ago."

Anna's eyes widened. "That's why you weren't here, "she whispered to herself. "You knew she wasn't in the tomb," she finished quietly.

"You knew about the tomb?"

Anna sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I knew – you thought you were the only one, didn't you?" From his expression she knew she had hit the nail on the head. "You weren't the only one Emily told," she informed him imperiously

"I'm losing my patience, _Annabelle_," he said snidely. "Tell me what you know about Elena."

"Fine." She walked over to his car and sat down heavily on the hood, smiling when she felt it dent beneath her. "I came back to get my mother out of the tomb not long after the comet passed. I thought you would be here too – for Katherine. I'd been counting on your help actually," she muttered to herself.

Damon nodded at this. It had always been his plan to come back, and he had spent 144 years researching how to free Katherine. But after seeing her, he hadn't given the tomb a second thought.

Anna's eyes were downcast as she continued. "I knew I'd need the Gilbert journals, so I conveniently befriended Jeremy Gilbert. After I got Jonathan Gilbert's journal, I was able to track down Emily's grimoire. Then it was just a matter of hiring a less than scrupulous witch and she was able release the seal on the tomb." She slid down off the hood of his car and began to pace. "I had even planned on using Jeremy's blood to revive my mother - poetic justice and all that, but I….couldn't."

"You fell in love with him, didn't you?" Damon deduced.

She nodded her assent without meeting his eyes. "I just wanted my mother back. What I hadn't bothered to consider were the other vampires in the tomb. I had been so focused on getting her out; they just never crossed my mind."

Damon's blood ran cold as he began to suspect where this was heading. "What did they do?"

There was a tremor in her voice as she spoke. "I should have known they'd be hell-bent on revenge, but…." She paused to swipe at her wet cheeks. "They went after the founding families. Shortly after the tomb was opened Frederick killed Elena's aunt." She gestured towards the front of the restaurant. "He drained her practically in the middle of the street. She hung on for a couple of days before she died." She huffed out a tremulous sigh. "I tried to get Jeremy to leave town with me, but he wouldn't leave Elena. They got him a few weeks later," she finished in a husky voice.

Damon's immediate reaction was panic – to get Elena and run. It took him a moment to remember that this had all happened over two years ago. "You said they went after the founding families. Why didn't they go after Elena?"

"Why don't you ask your brother?" she spat venomously before stepping into his personal space. "I mean it Damon – leave her alone or I _will_ tell her what you are."

Smirking, he raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "What makes you think she'll believe you?"

She gave him a condescending smile. "She's a _Gilbert_, you idiot - a member of the founding families. Her uncle told her the truth after Jeremy was killed. She knows about vampires."

A rock settled in his gut as he realized she was telling the truth. The vervain necklace, her vague accounts of her aunt's and brother's deaths. Elena knew. And she would hate him when she found out what he was.

Anna watched reality sink into his eyes with a triumphant smile. "Back off, Damon, or I'll expose you." She patted him on the shoulder as she walked away. "Your choice."

* * *

Elena had studiously avoided Stefan for the rest of her shift, ignoring him as he fiddled with his empty cup. She had no intention of offering him a refill and a few minutes before ten, she clocked out and retrieved her purse from the back room. She sat at the bar, sipping a ginger ale, and waited for Damon. The pain in her throat had intensified and she thought she was running a low-grade fever.

The stool next to her was dragged out noisily and she exhaled loudly when she saw Stefan sit down next to her.

"I obviously upset you earlier and I'm sorry for that," he said sincerely.

"You should be." Elena slid off the stool and picked up her purse, deciding she'd rather wait for Damon outside. "Your brother's been nothing but kind to me." She took a final sip of her ginger ale and turned to leave, but Stefan's hand closed around her elbow.

"I know you don't want to hear it, Elena, but I'm telling you the truth. Don't get involved with my brother," his voice was low and urgent, almost desperate.

Elena went to yank her arm from his loose grasp, when she felt someone at her back.

"You're a bit late with that advice, little brother," Damon ground out while shooting daggers at his hand on Elena's arm. "_Let go of her_."

Damon couldn't remember the last time he had been so close to losing control. He had already been on edge after talking to Anna and when he walked through the door to see Stefan grabbing Elena and warning her to stay away from him, he had seen red. Stefan had obviously seen Elena before, knew about her. And according to Anna, he knew why she'd been spared the same fate that had met her aunt and her brother. Had Elena not been standing between them, Damon would have extracted that information from him right then, regardless of who else might have seen.

Stefan removed his hand from her arm and Elena sank back against Damon's chest. Feeling her relax against him, the flames of his rage died down a bit, but did not extinguish. His voice was unusually soft when he tipped his head to hers. "Are you ready to go?"

In contrast, Elena's voice was icy. "Yes," she said while giving Stefan a pointed look.

He gave Stefan a warning smile. "I'll see you at home," he hissed, the threat implicit in his tone. Damon took Elena's hand, noting that it felt warmer than it should have and led her outside. As he opened the car door for her, he got a better look at her and took her face in his hands, scanning her flushed cheeks and the dull cast to her eyes. "Are you coming down with something?"

Elena nodded miserably, "I think so. Vicki's out sick and I might be getting what she has."

Damon kissed her forehead as she got into the car. "You're too warm."

She waited until he got in and closed his door, needing the privacy before she asked, "What's wrong with your brother? Why would he say that you're dangerous?" Her eyes searched his face, needing to gauge his reaction.

Damon inhaled sharply and his fingers flexed around the steering wheel. She knew he was angry and was surprised when his vibrant eyes swung to hers, looking at her with more affection than she thought possible. "I would never hurt you, Elena."

Unable to tear her eyes away from his, she laid her hand over his rigid bicep and squeezed tightly, anchoring herself to him. "I know that," she assured him.

Hearing her say that gave him a shred of hope that she wouldn't completely despise him when she found out what he was. "Stefan and I have a complicated relationship, he doesn't trust me anymore than I trust him," he explained. She seemed to accept his explanation and he started the car, wanting to get her home.

They drove to her house in silence and as Damon followed her into the house she looked at him quizzically. "I'm surprised you even told him about me, considering your past with him."

Damon groaned inwardly. Of course she would think that he had told Stefan about her – it would be the only explanation for why he'd shown up, eager to meet her. Not wanting to lie to her anymore than he had to, he shrugged casually and changed the subject. "You should get some sleep, you're not feeling well."

She had been so looking forward to seeing him all evening and she silently fumed at his brother for casting a pall over their time together. Not willing to let Stefan or her cold ruin her night, she twined her fingers through his. "Will you stay for awhile? Maybe until I fall asleep?"

Damon smirked at her, his good humor returning. "Elena, if you're trying to seduce me, you don't have to be so coy about it." He looked around theatrically. "Where do you want me? The couch?" He leaned close, "Your bed?" he teased.

She laughed at his arrogance. "You're such an ass sometimes," she breathed out on a sigh as she stood up to kiss him only to pull away at the last minute.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked.

Smiling apologetically she said, "I don't want to get you sick," she pouted. She loved kissing him and her eyes stayed locked on his mouth, disappointed.

"I won't get sick," he promised before pulling her to him and closing his mouth over hers. He kissed her endlessly, his tongue dipping into her mouth again and again. It was unspeakably intimate and neither of them tried to push it into something more sexual. Finally breaking away, Damon realized that he had pulled Elena so close, her feet were no longer touching the ground and he set her down with a shaky sigh. Her eyes were fastened to his with the tenderest expression and Damon was thunderstruck by the realization that he was in love with her. He didn't just like her, or care about her – _he loved her_.

As the powerful wave of emotion washed over him, his fingers tightened on her waist and he pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. His fingers shook as he took her hand and he fought to keep his voice even, "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Elena fell asleep quickly, but Damon hated to leave her. He watched her sleep for hours, afraid he may not get many more chances like this. In the early morning hours before dawn, he kissed her sleeping mouth and rose from her bed.

It was time to talk to Stefan.


	9. Out With It

Disclaimer – I do not the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note – I wanted to have this up over the weekend, but I was feeling a bit under the weather. Better late than never, I suppose. Thank you to pandora03 for checking this over for me and putting my head on straight. And thank you for all of your wonderful reviews – I'm sort of stunned by the sheer volume of them. Stunned, but very grateful =) Oh, and a thank you to lynn - I love reading your reviews, I just wish I could reply to them..*hint, hint*

* * *

As soon as Damon shut Elena's front door behind him, it was as if a switch had been flipped and the fury he had been suppressing for the last few hours tore through him with renewed vengeance. The gas pedal stayed pressed to the floor as he raced through the deserted streets in the early morning hours. God help Stefan when he got his hands on him…

The lights were still on in the boarding house, and he all but ripped the front door from its hinges as he slammed it open. Stefan was waiting for him, standing at the end of the hallway, his arms crossed and his face impassive. "I knew you'd found her," he shook his head. "When you were still here after a few days, I knew you must have found her."

Damon's footfalls were heavy and slow as he stalked into the room, rooting himself a few feet away from his brother. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself long enough to get some answers. "How long have you known about her?"

"Three years," he said flatly. "I was here visiting Zack when I first saw her. I was in the woods near Wickery Bridge when I heard something - a car accident. I got there fast but the car was already submerged in water. I tried to help, but the man in the car insisted I help his daughter first. I got Elena out but it was too late to help her parents."

This was news to him. Elena hadn't told him she'd been in the car when her parents died. Damon leaned against the arm of the couch, his watchful eyes never moving from Stefan's face. "You've known about her all this time and you've never spoken to her?" he asked, disbelief coloring his tone.

Stefan shook his head. "After I pulled her out I stayed in town for months, learning everything I could about her. I needed to convince myself that she wasn't Katherine."

Damon huffed out a derisive laugh. He'd figured out she wasn't Katherine in under three seconds.

Stefan's voice softened and became far too intimate for Damon's liking. "When I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep myself away from her, I left. _To keep her safe_," he said pointedly. Stefan's eyes narrowed and his voice lowered in warning. "Elena is nothing like Katherine, Damon. I will _not_ let you use her because you can't have who you really want."

Upon hearing Stefan speak her name so possessively, Damon became unglued and sprang forward, shoving his brother with enough force to send him sailing across the room. His body splintered an antique sideboard and he landed in a heap against the far wall. Before he had time to right himself, Stefan found himself flat on his back. He screamed in agony as Damon plunged a thick chunk of mahogany into his chest, a makeshift stake plucked from the wreckage of the ruined sideboard.

The stake had entered Stefan's chest just to the right of his heart and Damon twisted it with slow precision, smiling as his brother writhed under his hand, the fine splinters ripping through the fibers of his lung. Damon shook his head in mock sympathy and tsked quietly. "The fluffy bunny diet has made you weak, brother." Twisting the stake more forcefully, he put himself right in Stefan's face and bit out each word with an almost lazy malice. "Don't presume to know what I really want. You know _nothing_ about my feelings for Elena. _Nothing_." His eyes blazed and bore into his brother's with no empathy. "If you ever try to fill her head with your bullshit lies again, _I will end you_." Damon pulled back a bit and gave the stake a brutal twist to emphasize his point. "Brother or not, if you go near her again…" The hole in Stefan's chest was now the size of a softball and Damon pulled the stake out and strode across the room, tossing it into the fireplace.

Stefan convulsed as it left his body and he sucked in a wet labored breath. He lay still for several minutes, as the painful sensation of his flesh knitting itself back together robbed him of coherent thought. As the pain began to subside, he sat up carefully and spotted Damon who was watching him like a hawk. "As much as you hate me, you'd never kill me, Damon. We both know that."

"Do we?" he asked, his voice still laced with anger. Although he had spent the last century and a half despising Stefan, he had never seriously contemplated killing him. Until today. "I know you weren't able to stay away from her. Anna said that I should ask you why the tomb vampires didn't go after Elena.

Stefan's eyes snapped to his in surprise and he sat up higher, his hand clamped over the still healing wound. Damon smirked. "Oh yes, I know about that too. I've had a very informative day." The smile dropped from his face and he became serious again. "Answer the question."

Something flashed in Stefan's eyes. Damon couldn't tell if it was anger or guilt or a combination of both. Stefan opened his mouth to speak and stopped himself, before shaking his head slightly and starting again. "The tomb vampires were killed, Damon. They were planning an attack, but the council found out about it and stopped them."

Losing his patience, Damon held up his hand. "The council?"

"The founding families formed a council to hunt vampires, just like in 1864. They had some sort of device that temporarily incapacitated every vampire in a five mile radius. They burned all of them during the Founder's Day celebration."

Damon leaned forward at that, a predatory look on his face. "How is it that you escaped unscathed?"

His flinch would have been imperceptible to anyone but Damon. "I wasn't there," he gritted out, returning his glare. Getting to his feet, Stefan made his way over to him. "What do you want with her, Damon?" he asked desperately. "Why can't you leave her alone?"

"Why can't you?" he countered.

Stefan swallowed and looked away. "You'll only end up hurting her, Damon." His eyes met Damon's and he shook his head sadly. "It's the only thing you're capable of."

In an instant, Damon was in front him pressing his hand into the still partially open wound. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said calmly as Stefan went rigid and a groan escaped his throat. "I suggest you leave in the morning as my patience with you is reaching its limit," he gritted out between clenched teeth.

He removed his hand and Stefan fell to the ground at his feet. Damon stepped over him and placidly made his way to his room. He stared out the window for hours, unseeing as he turned over various options in his mind. He kept coming back to the same conclusion. He had to tell her.

When he saw Stefan get into his car a few hours later, he picked up his phone. It was time.

* * *

The sky was black and thunder was cracking every few minutes. It wasn't raining yet, but Elena could tell they were on the verge of a massive downpour. The weather matched her mood. She had been disappointed to wake up alone, and her mood worsened when she realized how terrible she felt. Her throat was on fire and when she took her temperature it was three degrees above normal. She made some tea and nibbled on some toast, but by noon she knew was too sick to go to work and called in.

Elena was curled up on the couch under a blanket when her phone started ringing. Seeing Damon's name flash across the screen was quite possibly the only thing that could have perked her up. Clearing her throat before she answered, she greeted him with muted enthusiasm. "Hello?"

"How are you feeling?"

The low pitch of his voice made her stomach flip pleasantly. "I've been better, but it's not too bad."

"I need to talk to you. Are you feeling well enough to go somewhere with me?"

Her stomach stopped flipping and tightened with apprehension. Something was wrong; she could hear it in his voice. "Okay," she said carefully, "just give me few minutes to get ready. Is everything alright?"

He sidestepped her question. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

The call ended abruptly and Elena went upstairs to throw on some jeans and a long sleeved shirt. By the time she brushed her hair into a ponytail and grabbed a light jacket, he was already knocking on her door. She opened it to find Damon standing there with a solemn look on his face. His eyes looked tired and he was wearing the same clothes she had seen him in last night. He placed his hand on her cheek, giving her a half-smile when she leaned into his touch. "You feel warmer today. Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Positive." Whatever he wanted to talk to her about was obviously important and she wanted to hear it, regardless of how she was feeling. She locked the door behind her and put on her coat as they walked to his car. "Where are we going?"

"To my house." Damon closed the car door behind her and exhaled a long breath. He wavered in his conviction briefly before shaking his head and cursing under his breath. He had to tell her the truth about himself, he had no other choice. If she didn't hear it from him, she'd hear it from Anna, or even worse, Stefan. If that happened, he'd have no chance of making things work with her.

The drive was quiet and Damon could sense she was sicker than she was letting on. He could feel the elevated warmth radiating from her skin in the confines of the car. A light rain had started by the time they arrived at the boarding house, and he led her up the stairs to his room, firmly shutting the door behind him.

Elena took off her jacket and meandered around his room, her eyes eating up every detail. "This isn't how I pictured your room." It was an enormous space with the bed on one side and a separate seating area on the other. A set of French doors led to a balcony and Elena peered through the glass. The view looked beautiful in the rain.

"What were you expecting?" he asked, amused

"I don't know. Smaller I guess – this is practically an apartment." She took a seat on one of his chairs and gathered her courage. "So, you got me here. What do want to talk to me about?"

The amusement fell from his face and he walked over to where to she was sitting and placed a warm lingering kiss on her mouth.

He pulled back and Elena stopped him, her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Her voice was thin with trepidation. That kiss had felt like a goodbye and a wave of despair washed over her as her brain went into overdrive. He had changed his mind about staying in Mystic Falls. He was leaving her.

Her dark eyes were warm and soft as she implored him and he could feel her nails digging into his shoulder. If he didn't tell her now, he would never be able to. He stood up and backed away from her. "I ran into Anna last night on my way to pick you up."

"Anna?" It was so far from what she had been expecting him to say that her brow drew together in a dark line, confused.

Damon gave her a short meaningful nod, his eyes unblinking, never wavered from hers.

Elena's eyes widened and she swallowed around the lump forming in her throat. Anna hadn't been to see in her in months, she had been overdue for a visit. It had taken the better part of two years for her to stop hating Anna, to stop blaming her for Jenna and Jeremy's deaths. It had taken her that long to recognize the genuine anguish in Anna's eyes, the remorse she felt about releasing the vampires who had killed what was left of her family. She finally came to understand that Anna had loved Jeremy too and they had forged a tentative friendship. Elena was under no delusions about what Anna was and she felt sweat break out on her palms. "How do you know Anna?" she whispered.

"I met her when I lived here the first time," he answered quietly, cataloguing her every reaction.

The look he was giving her was far too meaningful, full of resigned expectation. As she watched his eyes fall to her necklace and then travel back up her face, awareness began to worm itself through her brain. Her breathing sped up. "When was that?"

Damon sighed heavily, having reached the point of no return. "1864."

The revelation slammed into her with the force of a Mack truck. Although he hadn't said the word aloud, it was screaming in her head. Vampire.

She shook her head as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Her eyes pleaded with him as she choked back a disbelieving sob. "_No_."

He approached her slowly and knelt in front of her, dying a bit inside when she winced slightly. His fingers closed around her necklace and he said, "Yes," as the smoke began to rise from his burning skin, his hypnotic eyes bored into hers. He heard her heart skip several beats and then start again, stammering out an imperfect rhythm in her chest.

Shock overtook her and she sat there for several seconds, frozen. The feeling of her tears splashing from her face to her hands in her lap pulled her back into reality and she sucked in a ragged gasp. The shock gave way to horror and an overwhelming flood of adrenaline pumped through her system instantaneously. She had to get out of there. Blindly, she bolted for the door and a soft scream left her throat when she saw Damon blocking her path.

"Elena, please, just wait-," he implored her.

She stumbled back a few feet, needing some distance between them and a sickening thought occurred to her. "Were you one of them? Were you in that tomb?" She banded an arm about her middle, a sorry attempt to hold herself together.

"_No_," he said with enough vehemence to make her stand up straighter. "I haven't been here in over a decade, Elena. _I was not in that tomb_." He modulated his tone and took a single step in her direction. "I had nothing to do with what happened to Jenna or Jeremy. Ask Anna." Her eyes flipped to his when he mentioned their names. "She told me what happened to them Elena. She told me that you know about vampires."

Her fingers flew to her necklace as he spoke. "My uncle told me after Jeremy died." Her face was mask of devastation when she looked at him, she could feel her heart tearing in two. He'd been in her home, she'd let him into her _bed_ and he'd been lying to her the whole time. Her fever was lending a sense of unreality to the whole situation and she swayed on her feet. "Was any of it real? Was this some sort of game to you?" she asked on a ragged breath.

Damon's chest constricted painfully at her question, the anguish clear in her tone. Unthinking, he took her face in his hands gently. "Elena, _no_. You were never a game to me. Everything was real." His thumbs swept over hot cheeks, brushing away the moisture there. "It was always real for me," he whispered almost desperately, "I didn't want to lie to you anymore."

She looked up to find his blue eyes waiting for her, begging her to believe him. The pad of his thumb brushed over her cheekbone again and Elena noticed just how close he was. She sucked in a breath when she realized that she was not the least bit afraid of him. Despite the betrayal and anger that were rioting within her, and even though she now knew what he was, she felt no fear. This new revelation unnerved her, pushing her over the edge and she jerked away from him. "I can't be here right now," she breathed out as she made her way to the door, relieved when he let her pass.

She ran down the stairs and paused when she reached the front door. She felt dizzy and took a deep breath to steady herself before she opened it. The drizzle had turned into a downpour, heavy torrents of rain turning the driveway into mud. Stepping out into the storm, she belatedly remembered her jacket, still in Damon's room. The rain soaked her through in less than ten seconds but she kept walking as hard shivers racked her frame. Elena made it as far as the tree line before stopping where she sagged against a tree trunk and started crying again in vain, exhausted and overwhelmed. She was trapped there, rooted to that spot for endless minutes. It was raining too hard for her to walk home and her only alternative was to go back to the boarding house.

Her eyes flew open at the soft sound of his voice. "Elena."

He was just as soaked as she was and was holding out his hand for her to take. For a split second, she wanted to pretend that he hadn't told her, that she didn't know. She looked at his hand longingly, before shaking her head. "Please just leave me alone," she beseeched him pitifully, before turning away. It was easier to ask him to leave if she didn't have to look at him.

His voice was husky, rough with emotion. "I can't leave you alone." He moved close to her and dropped his brow to her temple. "It's too late for that." When she didn't shrink away from him, he pressed the advantage. "You're sick, Elena. Please come inside, you shouldn't be out here." Her red-rimmed eyes turned to his, still bathed in confusion. "I'll take you home as soon as the storm lets up, I promise," he said.

Her thoughts drifted to yesterday. The look on his face when he told her he would never hurt her. She had believed him then and as reckless as it may have been, she still believed him. Elena gave a short jerky nod and he slipped one arm under her arms and another under her knees, lifting her from the ground. "I can walk, Damon," she protested weakly.

"I know that, but you're freezing and this is just faster." He tugged her close, alarmed by how much she was shaking. When she sagged in his arms and rested her head against his shoulder, he felt the smallest glimmer of hope.


	10. Press Pause

Discalimer - I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any its characters.

Author's Note - Okay, here we have the long awaited appearance of Dr. Damon. That sounds like the beginning of a bad porno or something! Thank you to pandora03 for looking this over and making the necessary tweaks and corrections. On with the show ;)

* * *

By the time Damon got Elena back to his room, her teeth were chattering and her lips were turning an alarming shade of blue. They were both soaked to the bone and water was sheeting off of her hair, puddling around her feet. Thinking of nothing other than getting her warm, Damon's hands went to her waist and quickly pulled her sodden shirt up. She stood there immobile like a doll, her hazy eyes far away, as he raised her arms to get it over her head. Tossing the wet bundle aside, his hands found the snap of her jeans. Elena sparked to life at that and she batted his hands away.

"Stop. I can do it myself."

Damon raised his hands in defeat and went to his dresser. Rummaging around, he located a black t-shirt and a pair of drawstring pants. They'd be too big, but it was all he had. Handing her the dry clothes, he pointed to his bathroom. "If you're not out in two minutes, I'm coming in," he informed her softly but unapologetically. She was burning up and unsteady on her feet and he was worried about her slipping on the unforgiving tile. Elena said nothing and closed the door behind her.

Attending to his own needs, he stripped off his wet clothes and threw on a pair of dry jeans. He heard the door open behind him as he pulled a t-shirt over his head, and turned to see Elena emerge, hugging her elbows. She was swimming in his clothes, still shivering violently. Damon pulled the covers back on his bed, exposing the silky soft white sheets. "Get in," he told her without preamble.

"N-No. I'm fine," she retorted less than convincingly.

"So stubborn," he muttered to himself before addressing her. "_No_, you're not fine. Just get in, Elena." He stepped away from the bed. "I'll stay out here, but you need to warm up." Her eyes softened a bit and she unfolded her crossed arms. "Please?" he implored her.

She nodded and climbed onto his very inviting bed. It had been custom made for him and it was almost twice the size of a king. Pillows were piled everywhere and Elena balled up on her side, practically lost in them. Damon was getting worried, but he tried not to let it show. He was woefully unprepared to deal with human illnesses. If she had been injured, he would've just slipped her some of his blood, but vampire blood was useless when dealing with something viral or an infection. Her face was flushed a deep red and Damon pushed her damp hair off her face, his palm resting against her forehead. Her temperature had crept up a notch or two. "Do you know what Vicki has?"

Under his hand, she shook her head miserably, "No, but I think it's getting worse." Her voice was hoarse, whether from her illness or all the crying she'd done, he couldn't say. Drawing the covers up to her chin, the deep chill in her bones began to abate. She unfurled from a tight ball as the warmth began to seep into her skin and her eyes landed on Damon who was perched stiffly on the edge of the bed, his eyes clinging to her like magnets.

With the combined shock of his confession and her illness, Elena felt like she was on the verge of slipping into oblivion. Against her will she could feel her eyelids growing heavy and she struggled to keep them open.

Damon watched her fight to stay awake and his shoulders slumped. "It's okay to fall asleep, Elena." When her tired eyes met his gaze he continued, "I meant what I said – I would never hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't," she replied sadly, hot tears slipping from her eyes again as her conflicting emotions warred within her. She knew she was safe with him and that knowledge was tearing her apart. If he had wanted to kill her or feed on her, he could have done so easily, necklace or not. She should hate him. Fear him. But she didn't - she _couldn't_. Despite the betrayal and the anger she felt at being deceived, she still trusted him.

To make matters worse, she still wanted him. When she looked at Damon she still saw the man who made her feel alive for the first time since her family died. She didn't see a vampire, she just saw _him_. Elena had spent the last three years sleepwalking like a zombie through the destruction of her once happy life, feeling nothing. Damon had woken her up, made her smile, and made her laugh. He made her feel everything. When she was with him she knew she wasn't alone in the world.

The right thing to do, the smart thing to do, would be to walk away from him now. Leave him and never look back. Her stomach bottomed out at the thought and a fresh wave of moisture gushed from her eyes.

Elena turned her head to face the wall as she cried. She didn't sniffle or sob, just let her tears fall down her cheek to soak the pillow beneath her head. Damon's jaw flexed as he held himself rigidly in place. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to hold her, to offer her comfort as she cried herself to sleep in his bed, but he held himself still, determined not to push her.

Though her eyes stayed fixed on the wall, he felt her fingers curl around his wrist. That was all the provocation he needed and he scooped her up like a small child, cradling her against his chest as he rested against the headboard. She buried her face in his shoulder, her wet cheek landing against his neck. Tightening his arms around her as she exhaled a long shuddering breath, he kissed the crown of her head before burying his face in her hair. "I'm sorry, Elena. I'm so sorry," he whispered, not even sure what he was apologizing for.

At his words, her hands dug in deeper, bunching the fabric of his shirt in her balled fists, needing him close. The thought of leaving him terrified her; he was the lone bright spot in her bleak world. How would she be able to justify the fact that she wanted someone who could rightfully be called a monster? With her high temperature her thoughts took on a surreal effect swimming through her mind until nothing made any sense.

Eventually, her body relaxed in his arms and he pulled the covers up around them, keeping her pressed to his chest. "Try to get some sleep," he murmured, while running a soothing hand down her back.

Her breathing evened out and deepened a few minutes later, and Damon hated having to slip out of bed. He had no idea when or if Stefan would be back, so he was going to try to complete his task as quickly as possible. After pressing a kiss against her heated forehead, he slipped out of the room soundlessly.

A few minutes or hours later, Elena was forced back into consciousness. With tremendous effort she opened her eyes to find Damon seated on the edge of his bed, his face etched with concern.

He extended his hand, showing her two white pills. "Just take these and you can go right back sleep," he prodded her gently.

Her head felt like cement as she forced herself upright. Taking the pills from his hand without comment, she washed them down with the icy water he handed her and promptly laid down again. She made no attempt to stay awake and fell into a deep slumber almost immediately.

Damon sat in his favorite chair watching the unrelenting rain and the sky darken into blackness. Aside from the rising and falling of her chest, Elena hadn't moved in almost six hours. She'd slept all day and he had never left his chair, his watchful gaze flitting to her often. Shortly after midnight she stirred, kicking off the heavy comforter untangling herself from his sheets. A fine sheen of sweat covered her brow and neck and Damon sighed internally, relieved that her fever had finally broken.

Knowing she was going to be fine, he laid down on the sofa and finally allowed himself to relax. He'd been awake for over forty hours and was running on fumes. He fell into a fitful sleep, his ears trained for any movement in the house.

Elena's eyes opened, focusing on an unfamiliar wall before she sat up with a gasp. She saw Damon's head snap up from where he was lying on the sofa and before she could blink her eyes he was sitting on the bed next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked with an almost frantic edge in his voice.

Her palm slapped over her heart, startled. "Don't do that!" she complained in a gritty voice. "You scared me! I'm fine; I just forgot where I was." But she wasn't fine. Her muscles ached and her throat was still on fire. She brushed her sweaty hair off of her sticky neck; at least her fever had passed. The room was dim, lit by a small lamp in the corner. When her eyes swung to the windows, she was taken aback to find that it was pitch black outside, rain still hammering against the panes. "What time is it?"

"After three."

Calculating the time from when she arrived at the boarding house, she figured she had been asleep for over twelve hours. Taking a moment to look at Damon, she was again surprised to find him disheveled, looking drawn. He reached for a bottle of pills on the nightstand and shook two out, handing them to her. She vaguely recalled him waking her up earlier and took the pills from his hand with a furrowed brow. "What are these?"

"Antibiotics."

She raised a brow. "How did you get antibiotics?"

"I can be very persuasive," he half-smiled. Off her look, he exhaled and handed her the prescription bottle.

Turning it over, she read the name printed on the label. "You stole Vicki's medication?" she asked incredulously.

Shrugging remorselessly, he told her. "She's already back at work, and you needed it. I think you just have a bad case of strep throat." It had been easy enough to get Vicki's mother to invite him inside, like taking candy from a baby. He'd been gone less than half an hour

She shook her head and but swallowed the pills anyway. Settling herself against the headboard, she stared at him unabashedly as she replayed the day's events with a clearer head. A thought occurred to her and her head tilted to one side, "So, your brother..?" she trailed off questioningly.

His lips were set in a firm line as he nodded. "We were both turned in 1864."

Elena sat up higher, feeling wide awake now. Her natural curiosity was bubbling to the surface and she wanted answers. "How?"

Standing, he said, "I think you mean who." Damon was done hiding from her, having decided to answer any questions she had, regardless of whether or not she was ready for the answers. He left his room and Elena craned her neck to see where he had gone. Returning quickly, he handed her a picture. "Katherine."

Elena sucked in breath upon seeing it. Katherine could have been her twin. She brought the photograph close to her face, scrutinizing every detail. "You said we looked _alike_, you didn't say we were identical."

Damon made his way to the opposite side of the bed and laid down on the far edge, miles of mattress between them. Huffing out a breath he turned his head to face her. "What was I supposed to say, Elena? Was I supposed to tell you that you have a vampire doppelganger running around?" he asked, with a quirked brow.

She watched him for a long moment, processing everything, understanding why he hadn't disclosed the extent of the similarities between her and Katherine. It would have led to more questions that he would have difficulty answering without lying to her and he said he didn't want to do that anymore. Nodding in acceptance, she cleared her throat, "Where is she now?"

Damon offered her a lazy shrug, "I don't know. I spent over a century of my life in love with a lie, Elena. I don't _want_ to know," he finished bitterly.

Irritation crept through her, seeping into every nerve ending. Hearing that he had been in love with anyone for over a hundred years, much less a carbon copy of herself sparked the simultaneous feelings of jealousy and inadequacy in her heart. Her eyes fell to Katherine's picture. "Why did you keep this?"

Huffing out a laugh, he sat up. "I didn't, this is Stefan's." Taking the picture from her hand he scowled at the image. "I burned everything I had of hers." Damon tossed her picture onto the floor heedless of where it landed.

"Did you want to be a vampire?" She fought to keep the judgment out of her voice.

He watched her thoughtfully. "I just wanted to be with her. I would have done anything to be with her – I loved her."

It was hard for her to hear, and Elena winced a bit at that. Unable to stop herself, the question she really wanted to ask spilled out of her. "What am I to you?"

Her eyes were searching his, wide and utterly vulnerable. He slid closer to her, his eyes inches from hers as his palm cupped her jaw. "You're _not_ a replacement for Katherine Elena. You're everything that she was not and _you_ are the reason I decided to stay in Mystic Falls. I've been on this planet for a hundred and sixty some odd years and I've never _needed_ anyone." Her eyes slid shut and Damon moved closer, his lips brushing against her cheek, "I need _you_. I can't lose you." Her hands reached for him, drawing him closer as he whispered against her mouth. "I love you."

Her eyes flipped open, crashing into beautiful blue and her heart pounded beneath her breast. Elena pressed a kiss to his mouth and pulled back slightly, stunned at his words. As she sat there silently, the light faded from his eyes, making them remote. It shook her out of her stupor and she kissed him again, longer this time, as her fingernails dug into his shoulders keeping him in place. He responded instantly, one arm twining about her waist as his other rested at her throat, his thumb caressing her collarbone.

Breaking the kiss, she settled her brow against his. "I need you too," she whispered. Her fingers sifted through his hair, before brushing down his neck to land on his chest. "I'm just…," she trailed off, her eyes pleading with him to understand what she couldn't say. One some level, she knew that she was in love with him, but she wasn't ready to admit that to herself. Not until she was sure she could deal with everything she had learned about him today. Saying it back wouldn't be fair to either of them. Not yet.

Damon nodded and squeezed her waist. When she had given him that sweet kiss and pulled away, it had felt like a rejection and he had felt himself coming apart at the seams. But he could see the sincerity in her eyes when she told him she needed him. He could feel it in the way her hands clutched him. And if that was all he ever got from her, he'd take it and be happy. No one had ever needed him before. He wrapped his arms around her and she settled against him with a contented sigh.

He'd be damned if he ever disappointed her again.


	11. Shades of Gray

Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters

Author's Note – I'm so sorry for taking so long with this update! I had some serious writer's block. I knew what I had to write, but I just couldn't make it happen until the past couple days. My sincere apologies – I won't keep you waiting this long again.

* * *

They had stayed wrapped in each other's arms until the first hints of morning filtered through the windows, waking Elena. As much as she wanted to stay with him, she knew she had to go home. She needed time to herself to sort out her snarled emotions, time to decide if she wanted to move forward with Damon or….not.

She had tried to wake him, but he stayed resolutely asleep, dark circles still shadowing the fair skin beneath his eyes. Spying his keys on the nightstand, she contemplating borrowing his Camaro, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Men had strong feelings about their cars. Left with no other choice, Elena called Caroline who practically squealed in excitement when she told her where she was. She ended the call quickly and searched for her clothes, finding them neatly folded on the bathroom counter. Elena got dressed, but kept Damon's t-shirt, stuffing it into her purse.

She wrote him a note and placed it on the pillow beside him, before trying one last time to wake him up. Elena placed her hand on his chest and called his name quietly. He didn't stir, but his hand went to hers, clutching it to him firmly. Sighing in defeat, Elena brushed a kiss over the sharp line of his cheekbone and stood, gently extricating her hand from his. Her eyes lingered over his form for endless minutes, the urge to climb back in bed and curl up next to him was almost overpowering. She shook her head and stepped away from him, resolving that the next time she saw him, she'd have made her decision.

Throwing a final glance over her shoulder, she left his room reluctantly, shutting the door softly behind her. Stefan stood at the bottom of the stairs watching her descend with his arms crossed and a serious expression hardening the angles of his face. Elena's voice was barely above a whisper as she addressed him, "You can save your vague warnings. Damon told me the truth."

His eyes widened, but other than that he showed no reaction. "What truth is that?"

"What he is." She stepped up to him and narrowed her eyes. "What _you_ are."

"Elena, I'm just trying to do the right thing. You don't know Damon –"

"And you don't know _me_," she cut him off. "I'm more than capable of deciding who is or isn't right for me," she whispered furiously.

Stefan stooped until their eyes were inches apart, his voice softening. "I do know you, Elena. I saw you years ago and I always tried to check in on you, look out for you…"

Elena sucked in a breath and reeled away from him. "You've been spying on me?" The blood drained from her face as his words settled in.

Exasperated, Stefan ran his hands down his face, "I wasn't spying on you, Elena. I was trying to keep you safe."

Walking backwards, she groped for the door handle behind her back, keeping her eye on him, "Damon showed me your picture of Katherine." Stefan stopped in his tracks and his eyes clouded over as he shook his head. "I'm not her, Stefan. And I don't need you to keep me safe," she said firmly as she slipped out the door.

Caroline's car was at the end of the wet driveway and Elena ran to her car, not caring about the mud she was splashing all over herself. The opened the passenger door and collapsed into the front seat.

Caroline tsked quietly and smiled brilliantly at her. "I never thought I'd see Elena Gilbert doing the morning after walk of shame. Tell me everything! I bet he's amazing in bed," she sighed dreamily, lost in her own fantasy as she performed a haphazard u-turn and pulled back on to the main road.

Her smile was infectious and a grin was tugging at Elena's mouth, momentarily forgetting about her conversation with Stefan. "I wouldn't know - I didn't have sex with him, Caroline. I wasn't feeling well and Damon took care of me last night."

Caroline's face fell. "That's it? What a waste."

Elena watched the scenery roll by then glanced over at her friend, smiling again. Caroline was still dressed in her flannel pajamas, little cupcakes dotting the blue fabric. "Thank you for coming to get me. I'm sorry I got you out of bed."

Shrugging, Caroline quirked a brow, "I'm just sorry I didn't get any juicy gossip." Her eyes flicked over Elena. "You don't look sick. Are you feeling better?"

"My throat still hurts and I feel achy, but I'm better. I think Vicki gave me strep throat."

"You're lucky that's all she gave you," she muttered under her breath. They parked in front of Elena's house and Caroline followed her into the house, making herself at home in the kitchen pulling out milk and cereal. "So, how are things with Damon?" She pushed a bowl of Lucky Charms at Elena and hopped up onto the counter to eat her own. "I can't believe you haven't slept with him yet," she said around a mouth full of cereal.

Elena picked up her bowl and rolled her eyes theatrically. "We've only been dating for a week, Caroline!"

"So what?" she shrugged, fishing around in her milk for the marshmallows. "You like him, don't you? Plus, that man is insanely hot," she raised her eyebrows in appreciation as she crunched loudly.

Elena played with her breakfast, swirling it in the bowl, watching the milk change color as the marshmallows disintegrated. "I do like him. I more than like him, but that's not the problem," she muttered absentmindedly.

Ears perking up, Caroline set her bowl on the counter. "What _is_ the problem, then?" she asked. Elena's eyes flashed to hers briefly, before returning to her bowl. Caroline lowered her voice, becoming serious. "Come on, spill. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

Looking up at her friend's warm smile, Elena wanted to tell her everything, but she couldn't. Caroline was still innocent of the horrors that surrounded them in this town and she wanted to keep her that way. Instead, she opted to be as honest as she could without revealing too much. "Damon is….different. I can't say much without betraying his confidence, but I just…I don't know if I should be with him," she whispered mournfully.

Caroline jumped of the counter and paced around the kitchen, her arms crossed. "You said you don't know if you _should_ be with him, not that you don't _want_ to be with him." She fixed Elena with a hard look as she played the part of an interrogating attorney. "Do you want to be with Damon?"

"Yes," she said softly

"Okay," Caroline nodded. "So, why do you think you _shouldn't_ be with him?"

Elena didn't know how to answer that. "I don't know if I can deal with _who_ he is. It's complicated," she groaned in frustration.

"You're not giving me much to work with, Elena." Caroline expelled a sigh and dropped her arms, "Is he a drug dealer or in the mafia or something?" she asked only half joking.

"No," she breathed out on a laugh. Although she supposed he technically _was_ a criminal, since she was sure the authorities would frown upon blood drinking.

"Hmmm," Caroline murmured. "Well since you won't tell me, all I can say is that every relationship is complicated and everyone has a past. You just need to figure out if you can look past…whatever _it_ is." She lowered her voice to near whisper. "Does he make you happy?"

"Yes." She lifted her eyes to Caroline's and smiled. "He told me he loved me."

"And you wait until now to tell me?" she shouted, her exuberance making Elena flinch. Her eyes rounded and her mouth hung open. "That should have been the first thing out of your mouth! What did you say?" she asked breathlessly.

Elena grimaced and shrugged awkwardly. "Nothing really, it took me by surprise."

Caroline bit her lip, watching Elena with sympathy in her eyes. She'd been so…detached since her family died and she was finally starting to emerge from the cocoon she'd been hiding in. Caroline firmly believed that this had everything to do with Damon and she wasn't about to let Elena crawl back into her shell. "Don't be afraid to love him back, Elena." She wrapped her hand around Elena's arm and squeezed reassuringly. "Maybe it'll work out, maybe it won't. You won't know unless you try." Elena's eyes misted over and Caroline wrapped her in a firm hug. Pulling away she was relieved to see Elena give her a watery smile. "I have to get to work. Call me later?"

Elena nodded, "Thanks Caroline."

Caroline's face split in a wide grin, her chest puffing with pride, knowing she had said just the right thing - a rarity for her. "You're welcome."

Elena closed the front door behind her and trudged up the stairs to her room, her aching muscles making the task difficult. She threw her clothes from yesterday into the hamper before turning on the shower and retrieving Damon's shirt from her purse. She held it to her face and inhaled deeply, instantly comforted by his familiar scent. Elena tucked it into her top drawer and retreated to the bathroom for a long shower.

As she stood motionless under the hot spray, letting the water soothe the pain of her tense muscles, she thought about what Caroline had said. She was afraid to love Damon back. And not because he was a vampire, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to reassemble herself if something went wrong between them. After spending years keeping everyone at arm's length the thought of letting someone into her heart made her hands shake with fear and she pressed them against the cool tile to steady them. If she had no one, she had nothing to lose and Elena was comfortable with that. Being alone was familiar. It was safe.

Elena knew it was a cowardly philosophy, but she didn't know if she could push herself past it. She slapped the tile in frustration and turned off the water, irritated with herself.

She dried off quickly, and pulled on her robe, tying it about her middle.

Steam billowed out of the bathroom as she opened the door and crossed the landing into her bedroom, a scream tearing from her throat when she saw Anna sprawled comfortably across her bed, flipping through a copy of Vogue. Her hand landed against the doorframe as she jumped. "Damn it, Anna! Don't you knock?"

Closing the magazine, Anna sat up, her feet swinging over the side of the bed like a child's. "I did knock, but you didn't hear me. I heard the shower running so I just let myself in," she explained with a shrug of one shoulder.

When her heart stopped fluttering, Elena made her way to her dresser to retrieve her comb and starting tugging it through her hair. "I heard you were in town. I was wondering when you'd stop by."

Her lips lifted up on one side, a disbelieving half smile on her face. "Damon told you," she stated, seemingly to herself.

"He did." Elena watched her in the mirror.

"So you know…?"

"That he's a vampire?" Elena set the comb down and turned to face her directly. "Yes, I know. He told me yesterday."

Anna studied her calm demeanor. "You seem to be taking it well."

"Is that why you're here? To check up on me?"

A hint of guilt flashed over Anna's face before her expression became serene and matter-of-fact. "Yes." She stood up and went to the dresser beside her, plucking a picture of Jeremy from the collage of family photos that choked Elena's mirror. "I saw you with Damon a couple of days ago," she said quietly, her eyes locked on Jeremy's picture. "I told him if he didn't tell you what he was, I would." Her eyes caught Elena's. "You deserved to know the truth."

In the emotional meltdown and mind-bending fever that followed Damon's confession, she had forgotten that he mentioned seeing Anna the night before. "So you and Damon are friends?"

"Friends?" Anna repeated dubiously. "Not really. More like very casual and distant acquaintances. I was in Mystic Falls around the time he and his brother were turned."

Elena's eyebrows shot up at that. "You must have known Katherine?"

Anna blinked in surprise. "He told you about Katherine?" Without waiting for a response she continued quickly. "Yes, I knew her. She was a heartless bitch who left my mother for dead," she spat. Composing herself, she exhaled slowly and her eyes became inquisitive. "What are you doing with Damon?" she asked softly, her voice free of judgment or reproach.

Truth be told, Elena was almost relieved that Anna had asked her. At least she could speak freely with her. "I'm not completely sure yet." Elena sat on her bed, her eyes far away. "I care about him."

Anna shook her head. "I always knew one of the Salvatore brothers would get to you eventually." Her eyes narrowed and her voice became hard. "I just thought it would be Stefan."

Hearing the edge in her voice, Elena cocked her head to one side. "Why do you say that?"

"Because he's been watching you off and on for years."

An angry flush crept up Elena's neck. "You knew someone was spying on me and you _never_ told me?" she bit out.

Anna put Jeremy's picture back into its rightful place, her shoulders slumped. "You didn't really start talking to me until recently, Elena. For the first two years, you slammed the door in my face every time I came by." Turning to face her, she continued, "I haven't seen him in over a year. The last time I saw him in town, I told him to back off and stay away from you."

"Well, he didn't take your advice because he's at the boarding house. He keeps warning to me to stay away from Damon - telling me he's dangerous."

"As much as I hate to agree with Stefan, you should know – Damon's not exactly a Boy Scout."

Rolling her eyes at Anna's statement she stood abruptly and opened her dresser drawers, hunting for her pajamas. "I'm not naïve, Anna. I know how vampires survive so you can spare me the lecture."

Anna smirked, "I think I struck a nerve."

"I know I'm safe with Damon," she retorted sharply, before softening her voice. "I know it." Selecting a pair of long forgotten flannel pajamas, Elena changed the subject. "So why do you hate Stefan so much?"

Anna's head snapped up. "Who said I hate him?"

"You don't have to be Nancy Drew to figure that out. You practically sneer every time you say his name," Elena told her with a hint of a smile.

"Fair enough," Anna conceded with a crisp nod. "My reasons for hating him are personal. He tends to have tunnel vision where certain things are concerned which can lead to… poor decisions."

"And his poor decisions affected you?"

"Yes," she said with an air of finality. Pushing off the dresser she paused in Elena's door. "I'm gonna head out."

"So soon? You just got here." Elena was disappointed, she saw her so infrequently.

"I'll be around for a few more days. Call me – we'll grab dinner or something."

Elena took Jeremy's picture from the frame and handed it to Anna. "You should take it – I have hundreds."

Tears pooled in Anna's eyes and she tucked the photo carefully into her bag. "Thank you." She turned to leave, but paused at the top of stairs. "Don't be angry, but I have to ask. Are you sure Damon hasn't been compelling you?"

Trying to bite back the defensive response that sprung to her lips, Elena reminded herself that Anna cared about her. She wound her fingers around her necklace. "I wear this all the time, Anna."

Nodding, she said, "I just want you to be sure. You haven't had any instances of losing time – like whole hours gone in an instant or being somewhere and not remembering how you got there?"

The tiny hairs on Elena's arms stood on end as something crackled in her memory, an incident from the worst night of her life. She shook her head slowly. "No," she whispered. "Nothing like that has happened since I met Damon."

"Good," she sighed. "Call me soon." Anna flashed her a smile and was out the door in a heartbeat.

Elena walked stiffly down the stairs, locking the door behind Anna. She closed the curtains and went back upstairs to rifle through her old journals, something buried in her subconscious was tugging at her and she wanted answers.

* * *

Damon woke and knew instantly that Elena had gone. He glanced over at the empty side of the bed and something caught his eye. She had left him a note. Smiling he picked it up.

_Damon,_

_I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, but I needed to get home. Please understand that I just need a little time and space to figure out how I feel about all this. Thank you for taking care of me last night._

_Elena_

_P.S. I hated leaving you. I'll call you soon._

Damon folded her note and put it in one of his journals for safekeeping. He wanted to give her the space that she needed, but he also knew that patience wasn't one of his stronger virtues. If he hadn't heard from her in twenty-four hours he was going over there to talk to her, whether she wanted to see him or not.

A pang of hunger ripped through him making him realize he hadn't eaten in almost three days. He'd been so preoccupied with Elena; he'd simply forgotten to feed. Damon made his way down to the basement and opened the small fridge housing his purloined blood supply. Briefly he noted that the bags looked more neatly arranged than he remembered leaving them, but he pushed the thought aside and picked one up. His fangs descended and he bit into it ravenously.

As he sucked a giant gulp down his throat, he realized a fraction of a second too late that the blood had been tainted. It was full of vervain. The poison burned down his esophagus and he choked, sputtering out a gush a blood that soaked his shirt, turning it an even darker shade of black. Although he had expelled some of the vervain, a good portion was still blazing its way through his system, tearing through his organs.

Damon collapsed in a heap, curling in on himself in agony. Slow footsteps clomped heavily down the stairs and he opened his eyes, watching helplessly as Stefan dragged him into the homemade prison that occupied a portion of their basement.

"I told you to leave her alone, Damon." Stefan jabbed a needle into his arm and the area exploded in pain. More vervain. He closed the door behind him, locking the iron bar in place.

"What are you doing?"

"I've injected you with enough vervain to keep you weak. In a week, your skin will desiccate and you'll mummify. A living corpse. Unable to hurt anyone. Ever."

"I would never hurt Elena." Damon struggled to push put the words, his field of vision narrowed to a pinpoint, the world slipping away as he passed out.

"And now I can be sure of that," Stefan said quietly. "I'm sorry, Damon."

* * *

Author's Note Part Two – Now, I know it really seems like Stefan is being a dick here, but he really thinks he's doing the right thing. He's used to Damon being…well, very early season one Damon and that's why he's doing this stuff. That being said, this will be resolved quickly. Like on Friday when I post chapter 12 which is almost finished.


	12. Lies and other Crimes

Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note - Just wanted to say thank you again for all of the truly wonderful reviews and story alerts. It certainly makes the writing process more fun for me. This chapter is unbeta-ed because I was dragging ass today and didn't get in pandora03 in a timely fashion. All mistakes are mine.

* * *

Damon wasn't returning her calls.

After calling in sick for the second day in a row, Elena had spent the remainder of the afternoon in her room sifting through her old journals. After two frustrating hours, she gave up. She had found nothing that helped her define the strange feeling she'd had earlier while talking to Anna.

Although she had told him she needed some time and space, Elena cracked and called Damon. She just wanted to hear his voice for a few minutes; although she'd left him a note, she felt slightly guilty about leaving before he'd woken up. His phone rang endlessly and finally went to voicemail; it was unusual for him to not pick up. She left him a message and went she went to bed hours later, he still hadn't returned her call.

Elena woke early the next morning as she was working the lunch shift that day. She checked her phone again, but she'd missed no calls and had no new messages. She typed out a quick and generic text asking him if where he was and got out of bed. He was on her mind all morning as she got ready for work and when she still hadn't heard from him as her shift started, a tiny knot formed in the pit of her stomach.

The first half of her day flew by and after the lunch rush she retreated to the back room to call Damon again. This time his phone didn't even ring, it went straight to voicemail. "Damon, it's me again. I really want to talk to you, please call me back," her voice was soft as she ended the call.

Elena was distracted all afternoon, mixing up orders, forgetting to refill glasses. Her tips were suffering, but she couldn't bring herself to care, she was completely preoccupied with thoughts of Damon. Since that first night they had spoken to each other in the parking lot, not a day had passed without some sort of contact between them.

By the time her shift ended, the knot in her stomach had grown enormous and she was beginning to truly worry. It had been almost twenty-four hours since she called him yesterday and she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Elena was sure she was overreacting, maybe there was just something wrong with his phone, but after losing four family members she couldn't help but be a bit paranoid. After clocking out, she practically flew to her car and tried very hard not to speed as she drove to the boarding house.

The fading sunlight overhead had baked the formerly muddy driveway and she parked her car behind Damon's Camaro, relaxing fractionally when she saw it. The dried mud surrounding his car remained perfect and unbroken; it obviously hadn't been moved since the storm. Her eyes flicked the side of the house and caught sight of his Ferrari and, unfortunately, Stefan's Porsche. Both of Damon's cars were here, at least she knew he was home.

She knocked loudly and waited impatiently, shuffling from one foot to the other. The door swung open and her hesitant smile evaporated when she saw Stefan on the other side. Keeping her voice politely neutral, she said, "I need to talk to Damon." As she stepped forward to cross the threshold, Stefan subtly shifted, blocking her.

"He's not here Elena."

Quirking her head to one side, she eyed him skeptically. "He has to be here - his cars are here."

"He's gone, Elena." Stefan's intense gaze captured hers, his eyes looking almost apologetic.

Elena took a step back, scowling slightly. "Okay. Do you know where he went? I need to talk to him."

Stefan adopted a rigid stance, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "No, Damon's _gone_," he repeated softly. "He left last night and he won't be coming back."

Unable to process the incomprehensible words coming from his mouth, she stiffened, an icy shiver erupting on the back of her neck as her blood ran cold. "What are you talking about?" Her eyes searched his as she waited for response.

Seeing her fall apart before him, Stefan looked away briefly, before raising his eyes back to hers, his expression inscrutable. "He packed up and left. It's not the first time he's disappeared, Elena," he said, his tone was level, but there was a forceful tension beneath his words.

She reeled back at that, her breath leaving her in a rush, feeling as if she'd just been punched in the gut. "Damon wouldn't do that. He wouldn't just….leave."

"_Yes_, he would." Stefan's reached out in a comforting gesture, but Elena took another step back, avoiding his outstretched hand. "It's for the best. Just be glad it was sooner rather than later."

A lump formed in her throat and her tongue thickened. "Where did he go? Did he leave me a note?"

Shaking his head, Stefan said. "I don't know where he went Elena. He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry."

Her chest tightened and her eyes became wet. She was on the verge of losing it and she refused to let herself cry in front of Stefan. Nodding shortly she turned around and released a shaky sigh as she closed her car door, not sparing him a second glance. She backed out carefully and drove about two blocks before pulling onto the shoulder of the road. Her hands were shaking as she dug through her purse and pulled out her phone, checking it one last time for any missed calls or texts. Nothing.

This made no sense. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she wiped them away angrily. Why would he leave? Why would he go through the trouble of revealing himself to her if he was just going to abandon her? She sat there unmoving for the better part of an hour as she tried to come to terms with what Stefan had told her. Elena was unable to rationalize any of it, and as she calmed down, the tugging in her subconscious returned alerting her that something was most definitely amiss.

As she pulled back onto the road, she dialed Anna's number and asked her to meet her at her house. When she pulled into her driveway ten minutes later, she was already there, lounging in the porch swing.

"What's so urgent?"

"I was just at the boarding house. Stefan told me that Damon left town," she said in a matter-of-fact way as she opened the front door, Anna trailing behind her.

"He just left?"

Elena sat on the couch and exhaled a shaky sigh. "That's what Stefan said. He said that Damon wanted him to let me know that he was sorry – whatever that means."

Anna shook her head brusquely. "Damon practically tore my head off when I mentioned that I'd been checking up on you. I got the impression that you were pretty important to him."

"He said he loved me."

Huffing out a humorless laugh, she sat down next to her. "I don't get it – he spent over a century pining over the last girl he loved and he leaves you in less than two weeks?" Anna's brows knit together in a dark line.

Shooting her a glare, Elena mumbled, "You're not helping, Anna."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like it sounded. Damon's an asshole, but he always struck me as a committed asshole. Like to the point of obsession committed."

Damon _did_ love her, she was sure it. He had told her he needed her, whispered it against her cheek as his fingers curled into her side, anchoring her to him. Feelings that deep don't simply dissolve in the span of a day. Something was wrong with this whole scenario, Elena was sure of it; she could feel it in her bones.

"I want to go back there, Anna," Elena said, leaning toward her. "I want to look in his room."

"What for?"

Elena threw up her hands in frustration. "I don't know what for! I just want to look around. I know he wouldn't just leave without saying something to me. He would have called or left me a note – something. This whole thing just feels….wrong," she said plaintively, looking at Anna with something akin to desperation in her eyes.

Anna sighed and sagged against the cushions. "Fine. Do you want to go now? I'll go with you."

"No. I don't want to go when Stefan's there."

Anna laughed, "Well unless you're planning on breaking in, Stefan's going to be there." When Elena leveled her with an unwavering stare, she stopped smiling. "Wait a second – you _want_ to break in don't you?"

"I don't want to _break in_; I just want to look around while Stefan's not home." She could swear that he had looked almost guilty when he told her about Damon, like there was more to the story that he was unwilling to divulge. Elena would rip that house apart to find out what he was hiding.

"Semantics, Elena – it's still breaking and entering." Elena crossed her arms and leaned back against the couch, her mouth set in a thin line. Anna could tell she was digging her heels, readying herself for a fight. "Fine, I'll help you. I'll call Stefan tomorrow and ask him to meet me somewhere," she said with an obvious shudder. "That should give you the time you need, but you owe me for this."

"No!" Elena shouted, before modulating her tone. "I don't want to wait until tomorrow, Anna. Would you wait another day if it was Jeremy?"

She watched her for a long moment before her shoulders slumped, relenting. "No, I wouldn't. I'll call him tonight."

"Thank you," she said quietly, and then switched gears abruptly. "How am I going to get in?" She sprung off the couch and started anxiously moving about the room. "I don't have a key."

Anna shrugged, "It's an old house, lots of windows. Break one of you have to." Anna stood and opened the front door. "I'll call you in a few hours. I need some time to prepare."

Elena caught her in firm hug before she walked out the door. "Thank you for helping me with this."

"You're welcome," Anna squeezed her back fiercely, compressing her ribcage. "You realize that this is a bad idea?"

"I don't care," Elena mumbled into her hair. "I have to do this."

Anna pulled back and smiled. "Fair enough." She vanished, moving more quickly than Elena's eyes could follow.

* * *

The hours leading up to Anna's phone call seemed to drag by. As soon as she'd left, Elena had gone upstairs, changing into an outfit that was more appropriate for her evening's scheduled activities and then there was nothing to do but wait. An unnerving mixture of fear and anticipation was making her jittery and she paced around the house like a restless jungle cat, going over her plan in her head. Just as she was checking the batteries in her flashlight for the umpteenth time, her phone rang and she dove for it.

"Anna?" she said breathlessly.

"Stefan's going to meet me in half an hour," she said without preamble. "I don't know how long I'll be able to tolerate his presence, so try to be quick"

"How did you get him to agree to meet you?"

Anna sighed heavily, pausing for long seconds. "Does it really matter, Elena?" she said quietly. "I got him out of the house, didn't I?"

"Okay," Elena conceded easily. "Thank you, Anna. Again."

"I'll give you a warning call when he starts to head home."

Anna ended the call and Elena leapt into action, lifting her small messenger bag over head so that it hung crosswise across her torso. Inhaling a slow, calming breath, she picked up her keys and headed out.

She drove to the narrow road that led to the boarding house and pulled down an adjacent dirt path to wait, turning off her headlights. Not ten minutes later she saw Stefan's Porsche pass in front of her hiding place and she counted to twenty before turning on her lights and finishing the short drive to Damon's house.

It was completely dark; Stefan had left no lights on. It made the boarding house seem larger somehow, more foreboding as it loomed in front of her. Praying that he was lax about home security, she tried to open the front door and was dismayed to find it firmly locked. Remembering Anna's advice, she picked up a rock about the size of a softball and made her way around the side of the house to look for something less conspicuous than the picture windows that adorned the front of the house. On the far side, she found a side door with a glass pane and she pulled out her flashlight. Shining it inside, Elena saw the pantry and the door that led to the cellar. Before she could second guess herself, she smashed the rock through the glass.

The sound it made seemed deafening in the quiet stillness and she winced, whipping her head around to check behind her and finding no one. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she carefully pulled the remaining shards of glass out and let them fall to the floor, adding to the destruction. Reaching gingerly inside, her fingers found the lock.

"Shit," she whispered as she bent her head against the wooden frame. The latch hadn't even been set – the door was unlocked. In her haste, she hadn't bothered to check and had broken the window for nothing. "No use crying over spilled milk," she muttered as she opened the door, her shoes crunching on broken glass.

She hustled past the pantry and the cellar door, before walking quietly through the open kitchen. Finding the back stairs, she ascended them quickly, wincing every time a floorboard squeaked beneath her feet. The door to Damon's bedroom was open and Elena crept in, swinging the beam of her flashlight over the room, settling it on his bed.

It was still rumpled and unmade and she flicked the light towards the pillows. Her note was gone so he must have seen it. Turning the light to the left something caught her eye. Damon's cell phone. She picked it up eagerly and touched the screen. The missed calls were all from her, and the last outgoing call was to her, made the morning he'd brought her here. Elena tucked it into her pocket and went to his desk, stumbling over something. Shining the light at her feet, she saw Damon's boots lying at the foot of the bed like he'd just kicked them off. _He left without his shoes and his phone?_

Feeling a sense of urgency now, Elena turned on the overhead light, no longer caring if she got caught. She pulled open his closet doors and found them to be in perfect order, no gaps in the neat rows of clothes. Going to his bathroom she flipped on the light and opened his medicine cabinet, nothing had been removed. She went back into his room and sat down heavily at his desk.

Stefan had lied to her, Damon hadn't taken anything. Her eyes scanned over his desk, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Everything looked exactly as it had when she had left yesterday morning. With one exception. Katherine's picture had still been on the floor when she'd left, lying right where Damon had tossed it the night before. It was gone now.

She had no idea what it could possibly mean, but the only person who would have cared about it was Stefan. Furious now, Elena flung open doors down the hallway, not knowing which room was his. After poking her head in two empty bedrooms, she found his, it was much smaller than Damon's and she strolled in like she owned the place. Yanking books from his shelves, she tossed them on the hardwood floor and then dumped out the contents of his drawers until she found what she was looking for. Sure enough, she found Katherine's picture safely tucked away in the tiny drawer of a side table and Elena fought the urge to rip it to shreds for no other reason than she knew Stefan treasured it. She was now positive that Damon's disappearance was somehow his fault.

Throwing Katherine's picture to the ground, she stepped on it as she left his room and went downstairs, turning on every light in every room as she went. She had no idea what she was looking for, but she knew she wouldn't be satisfied until she had peeked in every dusty corner of this house.

Forty-five minutes later, she had officially gone through every empty bedroom, sitting room and study in the place and had found absolutely nothing that might lead her to some sort of answers about Damon's whereabouts. Giving up, she slunk back into the kitchen. She had made no attempt to clean up the messes she'd made in every room, leaving closets open and ransacked, drawers overturned, their contents spilling out everywhere. Elena wanted Stefan to know she'd been here, surely he'd pay her a visit and maybe then she'd get some answers.

She paused as she passed the cellar door and opened it, turning her flashlight on again and training the beam down the cement stairs. She descended them slowly and reaching the bottom, she found a light switch and flicked it on. A bare bulb mounted in one corner lit the room, casting odd shadows over everything. Seeing nothing in the main area, she followed a narrow hallway down a few feet and her heart leapt into her throat when she saw a smear or dried blood staining the concrete.

She followed the bloody trail around a tight corner and spotted a small refrigerator, splattered with gore. Visions of every horror movie she'd ever seen flickered through her head, and she held her breath as she lifted the lid, terrified at what she might find. Elena almost laughed when she saw that it was filled with blood bags; she'd been anticipating something much worse. She knew that vampires had to eat and felt a measure of relief when saw the bags. At least they weren't out killing people.

Continuing her search, Elena turned the corner and was met with what appeared to be a prison door. A heavy iron bar was keeping it in place she stood on her tip toes to peer through the bars that created a tiny window.

"Damon!" she screamed. He was lying at what had to be an uncomfortable angle, his skin ashen. At the sound of her voice he showed no reaction and Elena struggled to remove the bar that locked the door. A flurry of expletives flew from her mouth as she finally heaved it out the way, letting it clatter to the concrete with a metallic clang.

She dropped to her knees by his side and rolled him onto his back, shaking him gently. "Damon, wake up." His eyes remained closed and she patted his gray cheek firmly. "Damon, come on. I need you to wake up," she prodded, her voice rising along with her anxiety level. Elena placed her hand on his chest and realized that his shirt was stiff, caked with something. Scraping her nail over it, she saw the rusty color and realized it was dried blood. "No, no, no. Damon, wake up!" She was shaking him harder now and her free hand made short work of the buttons of his shirt. Yanking it open, she was expecting to find some sort of ghastly wound, but his skin was unmarred.

Panicked, she could hear her blood rushing in her ears as she beat on his chest and shouted his name, tears slipping from her eyes when he refused to move. Elena's vampire knowledge was limited at best. She knew about mind compulsion, that vervain was toxic, and how a stake through the heart would kill them but there was no stake protruding from his chest, and she was still unable to ascertain if he was dead or alive. He looked dead to her and Elena rocked back on her heels when a hard sob ripped through her chest. As she wiped her eyes, she caught sight of the blood stained concrete and sucked in a breath, the momentarily stunned cylinders in her brain firing again. He was a vampire, he probably just needed blood. Scrambling to her feet, she ran back to the small refrigerator and pulled out a bag.

Back in the cell, she ripped her messenger bag off her shoulder and dumped the contents onto the floor, flinging things aside until she located the small pocket knife that had once been her father's. Puncturing the bag in one corner, she lifted it to his mouth and let the blood drip down his throat in a thin trickle.

Damon reacted like he'd been shocked by a defibrillator. His eyes flew open and his back bowed off the floor before he curled onto his side, spitting out the blood she had fed him. His pained eyes found hers, and he muttered one word before they slid closed and he went still again. "Vervain."

"Oh, God," she breathed out as she threw the bag of corrupted blood away from him, into the far corner of the room. He'd been poisoned and she'd just made it worse. There was a smear of blood left on lips and cheek, his skin smoking as the vervain ate away at his flesh. Acting quickly, Elena used her sleeve, wiping the rest of the tainted blood off his face with shaking fingers.

She knew what he needed, and left with no other options she rolled up her sleeve and wiped the blade of her pocketknife against her jeans, removing all traces of the malignant blood. There was no way she would let him slip through her fingers, not when it was within her power to help him. In that instant, she knew she was in love with him; it no longer mattered to her what he was.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she drew the blade against the soft skin along the inside of her arm, making a shallow cut. Her blood welled out sluggishly and she quickly tipped her arm over Damon's parted lips. Nothing happened as a small amount of her blood poured in to his mouth and her free hand rubbed softly over his neck as she encouraged him. "Damon, come on, drink." She felt his Adam's apple bob beneath her hand and she smiled as he swallowed once, but no more.

"Damn it." The small cut she had made had stopped bleeding and she picked up the knife again, crying out as she pushed it deeper into her tender flesh, tearing through muscle and vein. Bleeding freely now, she placed her arm back over his mouth and he responded almost immediately, fastening his dry lips over the wound and sucking weakly. After taking two shallow pulls, his hand came up to her arm, holding it in place firmly as he began to suck more strongly. Elena watched him closely, bracing herself for the moment his fangs descended and sank into the raw wound, but the pain never came. His eyes stayed closed as he slowly drank from her and she exhaled quietly when his ghastly pallor shifted from gray to a healthier pink.

Although she was becoming lightheaded, she refused to pull her arm away, desperately needing to see his eyes open. Her arm stayed in place as she collapsed on his chest, her head lolling over his shoulder. Her eyelids grew heavy and as the drowsiness overtook her, she brushed lips against his ear and whispered, "I love you, Damon."

As his eyes opened, Elena lost consciousness.


	13. The Whole Truth

Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note – Thank you all again for all of the support you've given this story and by extension to me. I don't feel I'll ever be able to properly express my gratitude. And a HUGE thank you to pandora03, who knows when I'm frustrated and knows how to fix the rough parts of my writing. Also, my computer kept crapping out on me when I was replying to reviews last week – Heidi Mae – I wrote you something and I'm not sure if it went through. If you didn't get a reply from me last weekend, please let me know! Now, on with the show.

* * *

"_I love you, Damon_."

Damon's eyes snapped open at her confession, her honeyed blood still trickling down his throat. As her warm breath caressed his ear, he felt her body go limp above him and he reacted instantly. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he reversed their positions and his terrified eyes roved over form, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. There was no time for him to process her words; the magnitude of what she'd whispered to him was out of reach for the moment. "Jesus Elena, what did I do to you?"

Elena was pale and as her head flopped to one side listlessly, Damon had never hated himself as much as he did in that instant. The long gash on her arm called to him, it was ugly – deep and raw. And it obviously hadn't been made by him, it was no bite mark. As his guilt ebbed slightly, he glanced around the room and put the pieces of the puzzle together.

When he spotted the discarded blood bag in the corner, he remembered waking up for a few seconds and meeting her panicked eyes. A pocketknife was lying next to her, its blade covered in the carnage of Elena's flesh and blood, revealing the lengths she'd gone to for him - she had almost killed herself to save him. Wetness pooled in Damon's eyes as he lifted her from the concrete and cradled her against his chest. He could feel her heartbeat, soft and slow, as he carried her upstairs.

Shards of glass burrowed into the soles of his bare feet as he emerged from the basement, but he barely noticed the mild irritation as he brought her into the sitting room and set her on the couch. Bringing his wrist to his mouth, he bit into the flesh expertly and turned his wrist over her parted lips. He could have easily taken her to hospital, but this was much faster and less painful than the thirty stitches she would need to close the clumsy, ragged incision on her arm.

The foreign taste hit her tongue and Elena stirred, trying to turn her head away. Damon gently held her in place and pressed his lips against her temple, giving her a comforting kiss. "Drink Elena," he encouraged, his eyes fastened on her mouth. After a few seconds, she swallowed and he pressed his wrist more firmly to her mouth, "That's it, just a little more."

Her wound was beginning to knit together and when her eyelids fluttered, he pulled his arm away. She was going to be fine. He perched on the edge of the couch and as he waited for her to regain consciousness he finally noticed that the room had been trashed. The shelves were mostly empty, their contents now strewn about the room haphazardly. The desk drawers had been pulled out, one of them upside down on the floor, papers flung everywhere.

"Damon?" Elena's fingers curled around his forearm and his eyes flew to hers.

He leaned down, feathering a kiss over her lips. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she told him quietly, her face etched with confusion. Looking around, she sat up with a start; her eyes wide as her hands landed on his face, "Are _you_ okay?"

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "How did you find me?" Damon glanced down at her outfit with a smirk. "And why are you dressed like a cat burglar?"

Elena frowned, looking down at her black top and black jeans. "I broke in after Stefan told me you left town," Waving at herself she sighed, "I was trying to be stealthy, but then I….I went a little crazy when I figured out he was lying to me. Sorry I trashed your house."

"I don't care about the house," he murmured dismissively. The image of Elena tearing through his house in a rage almost made him smile, he was sorry he'd missed it. Damon's eyes darkened and he pulled her into his lap, needing to have her as close as possible. "Stefan told you I left town?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm.

Elena had never seen that expression on his face before. He looked deadly. Lethal. It did nothing to discourage her as she wound her arms around him and kissed the ticking muscle over his clenched jaw. "He said you packed up and left, that you wanted him to tell me that you were sorry." Mutinous blue eyes met hers as his arms tightened around her. "I knew you wouldn't leave without contacting me somehow. I was sure of that, so I asked Anna to get Stefan out of the house so I could look around. When I saw that nothing in your room had been touched, I knew he was lying to me."

The careful way he held and touched her was in complete opposition to the sound of his voice, which was rough with tension. "I would never willingly leave you, Elena. _Never_." His stormy eyes bored into hers as a maelstrom of feelings rushed through him. Rage at Stefan, amazement at what Elena had done for him, coupled with the knowledge that she loved him. She had risked her life to save his. In her eyes, he was worth saving. "Thank you," he said softly, "I can't believe you did this to yourself to help me."

Damon ran a finger down the fading pink line that had been her wound and her eyes followed the motion, remembering how it had looked the last time she saw it. "How…?" she trailed off, her eyes flitting from his to her arm.

Clearing his throat, he told her, "I gave you some of my blood." Elena's spine straightened and Damon kissed her neck before continuing. "It was just a little and it won't have any lasting effects. You're not turning into a vampire." He was surprised by her reaction, her lips turned down and she wouldn't meet his eyes. "I had to do it, Elena," he said by way of apology. "I'd taken too much from you and your arm needed to be healed."

The regret in his voice prompted Elena to look up and she caught his face between her palms. "I was terrified when I found you. For a second, I thought you were dead." Her lower lip trembled and she bit down on it, blinking back tears. "I would've happily given you every drop of blood in my body because the alternative is….. If you had died…if I had lost you I-" she broke off as her fingers knotted in his hair and her brow dropped to his. "I can't lose another person I love," she whispered hoarsely. Realizing what she had said, she pulled back to see his eyes, losing herself in the warmth of his gaze. Although she knew Damon loved her, it didn't stop her from feeling a flash of insecurity as she stared into the impossible blue of his eyes and told him directly, "I love you."

It was the first time a woman had ever said those words to him and truly meant them. Katherine had told him she loved him numerous times, always while simpering and giggling, but her eyes had always been empty and devoid of emotion. Although Damon had heard Elena whisper those words to him in the basement, he didn't allow himself to fully believe them until he saw her eyes as she said it again. He could see everything in Elena's eyes. He could see that she needed him; that she _loved_ him and it positively unmade him. There was no way he'd ever believe he actually deserved her. For the first time in his limitless existence, Damon was at a loss for words.

Instead, he kissed her deeply, trying to show her with his body what he was unable to verbalize. His tongue explored the cavern of her mouth, drawing her taste into him as her hands clutched at his neck and shoulders, pulling him closer. Elena made a soft sound in her throat and tilted her head, kissing him back with a passion that matched his own. She broke away with a gasp and drew in a breath as Damon brushed his lips over every inch of her throat, teasing her with barely there kisses that left her panting. When he breathed "I love you," into the soft skin behind her ear, she shivered and pulled his mouth back to hers, catching his lips in another molten kiss. He stood up then, and as her legs wrapped around him, he groaned against her mouth as he headed for the stairs.

As her phone started ringing from her back pocket, Elena breathed against his lips, "That's Anna. Stefan's on his way home."

Damon closed his eyes in frustration, his ire at his brother amplifying to epic proportions. "I have to deal with him, Elena." He kissed her one last time and set her down reluctantly, holding her within the safe confines of his arms. "He's trying to keep me away from you."

"Why?" she asked, keeping her face buried in his neck. "I don't understand why he would do something like that to you."

"He thinks I'll hurt you." Damon dropped his head to hers, voice low as he held her possessively. "I think he's in love with you."

Elena jerked back at that, stunned. "What?" Shaking her head in confusion, she looked up at him. "He doesn't even know me. Why would you think that?"

"Call it a hunch," he said shortly. "This could get…unpleasant. Do you want to go home? I can meet you there when I'm done."

"No!" she shouted, her eyes flashing angrily. "I'm not leaving you alone with him – look at what he did to you!"

Damon bit the inside of his cheek brutally, desperately trying not smile. The thought of Elena trying to protect him against another vampire was highly amusing, but he sobered quickly when he saw how serious she was. There were tiny almost imperceptible flickers of fear in her eyes and she was gripping him tightly, her fingernails scoring his skin. It took him a moment to realize that she was worried about him, and he fell in love with her all over again. No one had ever bothered to worry about him, not even his own father.

"I'll be fine, Elena, I can kick Stefan's ass on my worst day. He got the drop on me yesterday but it _will not_ happen again," he promised her, kissing her softly.

She loosened the stranglehold she had on his arms and nodded. "I'm still not leaving," she said quietly.

"I'm sorry I suggested it." Tipping her chin up, he forced her to meet his eyes. "If you stay, you're going to see my…not so pleasant side."

Meeting his gaze head on, her eyes were steely. "I'm not going home," she stated firmly. "Whatever happens, I can handle it."

"Okay then." The sound of an engine turning onto their road caught his attention and he smiled at her. "Showtime." Damon could hear her heart thrumming chaotically in her chest and he caught the taste of her adrenaline rush. "Relax," he said soothingly before moving across the room.

The front door slammed open and Stefan caught sight of her, the angry lines of his face softening. "Elena, what are you doing here? I saw the lights on and-,"

The words died on his lips as Damon appeared out of nowhere, slamming into him and pinning him to the ground. He delivered a series of brutal punches to Stefan's face, feeling his brother's jaw crack under his knuckles. Clenching his throat, Damon was eerily calm as he spoke. "You and I are _done_. You're going to pack your shit and you're going to leave _immediately_." He pressed his free hand against Stefan's sternum, pushing down until he felt the thin bone start to give. "Do we understand each other?" he bit out each word.

Elena had edged her way over to the fireplace and had picked up a poker, just in case he somehow managed to escape Damon's iron grip. Stefan's eyes found hers and she glared at him, unable to control her anger. "He could have died," she ground out. "He's your _brother_, how could you do that to him?"

Stefan opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when Anna barreled into the room, looking frazzled. "Thank God, you're alright," she flitted to Elena's side. "I got nervous when you didn't answer your phone." Looking around the ransacked room, she spotted Damon and Stefan. "What's going on here?"

"Stefan was just leaving." Damon ruthlessly pressed down harder, cracking the thin bone as Stefan flailed beneath him. "Isn't that right, little brother?"

Inching closer to Anna, Elena kept her eyes on Stefan. "He poisoned Damon's blood supply with vervain and locked him in the cellar."

"And now you're going to leave town. I've been very clear Stefan; Elena doesn't need you to protect her from me."

Anna's eyes widened and her voice was heavy with frustrated disappointment when she knelt beside Damon and leaned over Stefan. "Haven't you learned your lesson? Are you going to kill _your_ brother this time?"

Damon and Elena's eyes clashed over Anna's head, equally confused. Stefan managed to wrench Damon's hand from his neck long enough to yell, "_I _didn't kill Jeremy, Anna!"

Faster than Elena could follow, the dynamic had shifted and Anna was now holding Stefan up by his throat, her arm extended high above her as his feet dangled a centimeter or two off the ground. "You and I both know that's a lie," she informed him through clenched teeth before throwing him across the room with a flick of her wrist.

Elena's heart began pounding in earnest and her mouth went dry as she stepped around Damon who'd placed himself in front of her. "Anna?" she whispered, her face falling when her friend swung blood filled eyes to hers. Her stomach sank and she dropped the poker, letting it clatter to the floor as Anna's words replayed in her ears and she looked from her to Stefan questioningly. "What…?"

Expelling a ragged breath, Anna started to cry. "After Frederick killed Jenna, he focused in on you, Elena. He despised Katherine for leaving them to rot in that tomb, and since he couldn't kill her…he went after the next best thing - you." As Stefan slowly climbed to his feet, Anna circled him looking like a cobra poised to strike. "Stefan struck a deal. In exchange for your life, he told Frederick about John Gilbert's device…and he delivered Jeremy to him. Frederick was able to save himself from the council and still kill a member of the founding families."

It felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room as this new reality sunk in. Jeremy's death had been the worst thing that could ever happen to her. Losing her parents and Jenna had been gut-wrenching, but losing her brother had almost made her go mad with grief. Anger and hatred like she'd never known coursed through her veins like wildfire and she attacked blindly, fingernails clawing at Stefan's face as she went for his eyes. He did nothing to fend her off, and Elena became dimly aware that she was screaming as a set of unbreakable arms enfolded her and she found her back pressed against Damon's chest. Her voice cracked as she screamed at Stefan, "He was all I had left!" A harsh sob tore through her and she doubled over in Damon's arms.

Damon's voice matched his icy glare. "_Get out_."

Heartbreak wove across Stefan's features as he took a tentative step towards Elena, before Damon stopped him with a look. "They were going to _kill her_, Damon. Frederick already had her….I couldn't let her die." His eyes closed and he dropped his head. "There was no other way."

Tears tracked down Anna's face as she shook her head. "There's _always_ another way."

As Elena composed herself, her eyes flipped back to Stefan's. "What do you mean he already had me? I never-," her mouth shut as she put two and two together. She remembered nothing from the night Jeremy died; it was as if the whole evening never happened. When the police starting banging on her door in the middle of the night asking her where Jeremy had been, who he'd been with – Elena had no answers to give them. Her guilt had been all consuming, thinking that her ineptitude as a guardian was somehow to blame for her brother's death. "You compelled me, didn't you?"

"I had to Elena, you had seen everything….you saw what they did to Jeremy." He took another step forward, pleading with her. "I didn't _want_ you to have to remember that. It was the only thing I could do for you."

Breaking free from the circle of Damon's arms, Elena covered the space between them in two long strides and slapped him with all the force she could muster. Her palm stung and the blow sent a shockwave up her arm that wrenched her shoulder, but Stefan barely seemed to register the blow. Turning away from him, she whirled on Anna, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Tears flowed down Anna's cheeks unchecked. "I only found out recently. I ran into Frederick and his girlfriend right before I came back to Mystic Falls. They told me, they didn't know I was involved with Jeremy." Pulling her shoulders back, Anna raised her chin. "I killed them both, Elena," she confessed softly. She walked over to Elena and grasped her hand. "I was planning on telling you, I just didn't know how."

Elena felt a small measure of satisfaction in knowing that the vampire that killed Jeremy was dead. "Did you make him suffer?" Anna met her gaze evenly and nodded once, no traces of remorse or regret in her eyes. "Good," Elena whispered before enveloping her in a hug.

Stefan approached Damon hesitantly. "I'll leave, Damon." He let out a pained sigh and moved close to his brother, confident as he looked into Damon's eyes. "But you know you would have done the same thing in my position," he said in a voice too low for Elena to hear. "Tell her I'm sorry."

As Stefan made his way upstairs, Anna slipped out and Elena slid her hand into Damon's. "What did he say to you?"

"That he was sorry." As he gripped her hand, he knew that Stefan was right. He would happily sacrifice anyone or anything to spare her life, including himself. And after tonight, he knew she would do the same for him. They belonged to each other.

Elena looked up at Damon and the horrors of the day dissipated, secure in the knowledge that he was safe and at her side. She loved him and the newfound awareness made her insides tremble as she stood on her tip toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Her eyes were heavy with need as she whispered, "Come home with me," against his mouth.


	14. Want, Take, Have

Disclaimer – I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.

Author's Note – I said this to many to many of you in my review responses, but I wanted to say it here as well. I really didn't want to follow through with the Stefan/Jeremy subplot, but I had sort of written myself into a corner in that regard. I had already set it up in previous chapters and couldn't really figure out how to drop that plot point without going back and rewriting a bunch of stuff. So, I went through with it, but I wasn't happy about it. If anything, it was good lesson in what not to do in the future. Now, on to the happy stuff. Thank you to my beta pandora03 for looking this over for me!

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Damon had driven them back to her house in her car. She'd been quiet the whole way home, staring out into the distance, her dark eyes solemn but keeping her hand firmly locked in his. When they arrived at her house she opened the front door and headed straight for the kitchen, flipping on every light to chase the shadows away. Standing at the sink, she filled a glass with water and sipped at it, her eyes flipping to Damon's reflection in the window as he came up behind her.

He placed his hands on the sink in front of her, boxing her in, watching her watch him in the window. "Talk to me."

She set the glass down and turned to face him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "I'm okay," she assured him quietly. "It's just…for a minute it was like I lost him all over again," her voice cracked as tears rolled down her cheeks and Damon caught her in a hug, drawing her closer.

He held her for long minutes, just letting her cry, until eventually her sobs quieted and her ragged breaths mellowed. She pulled back, offering him a small smile. "I just want to put all of this behind me. I feel like I've been running in place since I lost them and I need to move forward."

Kissing her forehead, he murmured, "You will." His lips feathered over her damp cheek as he quietly amended his statement, "We will."

She nodded against his chest and he took her hand, turning off the lights before leading her upstairs. Closing her bedroom door behind them, she released his hand and pulled a pair of pajamas out of her dresser before disappearing into the bathroom. Damon wanted nothing more than to fall into bed and sleep for days, but he looked down at himself and thought better of it. Covered in dirt and dried blood, he was in desperate need of a shower.

Elena emerged, her face scrubbed clean and smelling divine, covered in a scented lotion that made him want to lick her all over. Eyes scanning appreciatively over her tiny shorts and tank top, he suddenly wasn't quite so tired. Gesturing down at himself, he gave her a weak smile, "Mind if I hop in your shower?"

"Of course," she smiled in return, feeling more like herself now that she was home and he was safely by her side. On his way by her, Damon stopped, brushing a warm lingering kiss over her mouth that set her pulse pounding and he broke away with a smirk, placing his hand over her racing heart. With one kiss he had completely turned her mood around and a delicious warmth spread through her belly, as his unmoving hand reeked havoc with her nervous system. "Hmm…interesting," he flashed her a cocky grin before retreating to her bathroom and closing the door, chuckling when he saw her glare.

She rolled her eyes at the closed door and crawled into her bed, heart still thumping as she relaxed against the pillows. As she listened to the sounds of the shower, water slapping against the tile, she toyed with the notion of getting out of bed and joining him. Not that she thought he would mind, in fact she was positive he wouldn't. Pulling back the covers, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and hesitated. She was several years out of practice in the sex department, and she bit the inside of her lip, suddenly nervous and unsure.

The bathroom door opened suddenly and Damon stepped out, a towel draped low across his hips, beads of water still clinging to his chest. Almost as if he knew what she'd been contemplating, his eyes swung to hers with unmistakable intent. In that instant, all of her doubts evaporated. She loved him and he loved her and they had almost lost each other tonight. Desperately needing to be connected to him, she practically flew to him and he met her in the middle, their mouths fusing in a searing kiss, as his hands sunk into the depths of her silky hair.

Elena was standing on her tip toes as she lost herself in his drugging kiss, her fingers clinging to his shoulders to steady herself. As she was on the verge of losing her balance, Damon's arm wound about her waist, spinning her until her back was braced against the wall, allowing him to kiss her more deeply. His tongue swept into her mouth, stroking her own and he swallowed her soft moan as his inquisitive hands slipped beneath her tank top, landing on her rib cage. Keeping his hands in place, his thumbs brushed back and forth, barely grazing the sensitive undersides of her breasts. The barely there caresses only served to make her hotter and she whimpered against his lips, breaking their kiss with a gasp. "Damon…please."

Hearing her say his name in that breathy needy way made him hard as nails and he slid his hands up, palming the soft flesh of her breasts, giving her what she wanted. Her eyes closed and her head tipped back at the attention, moaning when he squeezed her gently, the rough pads of his thumbs dragging slowly over her nipples. Her back arched off the wall pushing her flesh deeper into his hands and Damon watched the passion flit across her face. Needing to see more of her, he yanked her tank top over her head, watching her beautiful hair fall back into place before his eyes drifted downward.

Her eyes snapped open and she sucked in a breath when she saw the look on Damon's face. The combination of awe and barely restrained lust she saw there turned her knees to jelly and she clutched at his forearms, fingernails digging into the hard muscle to keep her in place.

The muscle in his jaw ticked and he was taking deep unneeded breaths as his eyes traced over her curves. Damon had long ago lost count of how many women he'd been with over the years, but none of them could hold a candle to Elena. What he wanted to do was tear off her shorts and fuck her right here against the wall, but he was determined to take this slowly. Leaning in, he kissed her again, his mouth soft against hers as he reigned himself in.

This kiss was slow and sweet and Elena's palms skimmed up his arms and stole into his hair, as her breasts flattened against his chest and she felt the hard length of him against her stomach. Keeping one hand anchored in his hair, her other hand slipped down his neck, fingernails teasing his chest as they trailed down past his well defined abdomen to pull his towel off. Her hand circled his hard flesh and Damon hissed, sucking in a breath through clenched teeth. Elena peeked between their bodies and her eyes popped wide, surprised at how large he looked in her small hand. "Oh…."

Damon's eyes flipped to hers, smirk firmly in place when he saw the expression on her face. When her hot little hand tightened around him and stroked firmly, his smug smile vanished as his jaw went slack. He groaned when she repeated the action and his brow dropped to her shoulder as his hands slapped against the wall behind her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elena spotted them in the mirror over her dresser. Entranced, she watched the muscles flex around Damon's spine as she continued to stroke him. His body was indescribably beautiful and she gasped, the erotic sight making her blood boil and she pumped faster, moaning and shivering deeply when he breathed her name, his lips brushing her neck.

Lost in sensation, Damon's lips parted over her throat, savoring the heady rush of her blood pumping frantically beneath her skin as her silky hand deftly stroked him. He hated the fact that the first time he tasted her had been in that filthy basement and that the act had caused her pain. His tongue came out to sample her skin and he moaned at the taste, his canines lengthening in response to the sweet torment. Clamping down on the urge, his teeth retracted and he muttered sharply, "Fuck."

Taking charge, he moved them to the bed, watching her breasts bounce as her breath left her lungs in a surprised rush. Her thighs fell apart to cradle him and they both moaned when he landed in just the right place. Elena rolled underneath him sinuously, rubbing herself against his arousal, coaxing a groan from Damon. He kissed her quickly. "If you keep doing that, this will be over before it even gets started," he told her with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

She laughed and pulled his mouth back to hers, "That's okay. It'll give us an excuse to start this all over again."

He smiled against her lips; loving the sound of her laughter after all they'd been through in the past few days. "We don't need an excuse." Dropping his head he placed hot open-mouthed kisses along every inch of her neck, trailing down to the strip of skin between her breasts. He raised his eyes to hers as he kissed his way across her flushed chest, extending his tongue and circling her nipple before closing his lips around the sensitive flesh and sucking it into his mouth.

Watching him pleasure her was almost as intense as feeling him do it and her entire body shuddered as she panted, her lust spiking to new heights. "Oh god…Damon."

He smirked around her wet flesh before releasing her and turning his attention to her neglected breast. She moaned low in her throat, but her heavy-lidded eyes never strayed from his as her fingers threaded through his hair, keeping him in place. She undulated against him again and Damon reared back, relishing her gasp of complaint. His fingers curled into the waistband of her plaid sleep shorts, tugging them down her thighs along with her panties and tossing them off the bed.

Elena watched as Damon slid his hands up the outsides of her bare thighs, over her hips and up her sides, before passing over her breasts and back down her stomach. Her legs fell open and her eyes fell closed as his hands brushed over the delicate skin of her inner thighs, fingertips skimming her wet center. She bucked against his hand, pushing her hips closer and she waited for him to touch her again, or settle on top on her. When nothing happened her eyes opened. "Damon…?"

It was the first time he would ever see her naked and Damon intended to memorize this moment, his eyes poring over every inch of her exquisite body. It was far too nice a job to rush. When his ravenous eyes tracked back up to her face, he smiled lasciviously and slipped a long finger inside her. Her hands fisted the comforter at her sides and she spread her legs wider, moaning when he slid a second digit inside, his thumb sweeping across her clit as he prowled up her body, dotting her rosy skin with wet sucking kisses along the way. Reaching her mouth, the last fiber of his restraint snapped when she breathed out, "I want you inside me. Now."

His hand slipped out of her and she shivered when she felt the hard long length of him drag across her thigh and settle between her legs, the blunt head of his erection nudging her intimately. Damon hooked an arm under her knee, opening her for him. His forehead tipped to hers, eyes catching and holding as he entered her slowly, both of them gasping when he slid into her fully.

She was unbelievably tight around him and he could feel her inner muscles stretching to accommodate him. "You okay?" he asked his voice strained as he fought the urge to slam into her like he wanted to.

She nodded against his forehead, relaxing when he released her leg, and slipped a hand between them, rubbing her softly where they were joined. She moaned and her hips twitched beneath him. "Uh huh," she breathed out on a sigh before capturing his lips in a fiery kiss.

Returning her rough kiss, Damon's hips began driving into her with a slow and expert precision that belied his own need. As the pleasure built within her, Elena wrapped her legs around his waist, and began moving with him, matching him thrust for thrust. As his pace increased, she fell back against the pillows and he slid his hands into hers, their fingers intertwining as he lifted her hands above her head.

She squeezed his hands and their eyes met, impossible blue crashing into warm brown. She whispered, "I love you, Damon," and he slowed his movements as he bent his head to place a tender kiss on her swollen lips.

The shocking intimacy of the moment formed a lump in his throat and he squeezed her hands in return as he dropped his head to her ear. "I love you too." He kissed the shell of her ear and tucked his face into her neck. "More than anything," he whispered in a voice too low for her to hear as he started to move again. Being with Elena was unlike anything he'd ever known. It wasn't just sex – with her it was making love. He'd always laughed at that term before, not believing that such a thing actually existed. Now he realized he'd just never experienced it before.

As need began to overtake them, Damon pushed deeper into her, wringing deep moans from her chest. Releasing her hands he rose above her, supporting his weight on his arms as her legs fell open wider, his pubic bone hitting her in the perfect spot. He could feel her tightening around him as her fingernails dug into his biceps, their bodies grinding together at every thrust. Her eyes squeezed shut as she gasped out his name, her muscles spasming around him as she pitched headlong into euphoria.

Sparks fired across her skin and she clutched him closer as wave after wave of pleasure crashed through her. Seeing her writhe in ecstasy beneath him, Damon abandoned his perfect rhythm and slammed into her as his orgasm tackled him from behind, shooting up his spine as he shuddered and groaned above her.

Breathing hard, he collapsed on top of her in a boneless heap. Afraid he was crushing her, he tried to pull back, but her arms clamped around him firmly, and she kissed the side of his neck. "No. Not yet."

He stayed there for a long minute, listening to her thundering heart before flipping them over, his body still locked with hers as her hair fell over him, tickling his face and shoulders. She pushed the tangled mess out of the way as she frowned. "I was all comfortable."

He shrugged remorselessly as she sat up, trying and failing to push her mass of hair into some semblance of order as it kept falling in her face. "But I like the view from here better." He said with a smirk. She looked like a wanton sex goddess with her wild hair and flushed complexion, love bites mapping her perfect skin.

She grinned as she looked down at him, his eyes locked on her chest. He really was beautiful. His hair was still damp, making it look it even darker, his aqua eyes standing out in stark contrast in his gorgeous face. Her hands caressed the sides of his face and slid down his neck to settle on his tightly muscled chest. "You might be on to something," she said with a smile, dipping her head to his pectoral, her tongue making a languid lap around his nipple before biting down gently. Grunting, Damon's hands flew to her thighs as he bucked up into her, instantly hard again. She sat back with a devilish smile as she planted her hands against his chest and rocked her hips with careful deliberation. "Wanna start over?"

He raised his knees suddenly pitching her forward, smirking when the smug look on her face was replaced with surprised passion. "Why not?"


	15. Let Me In

Disclaimer - I do not own The Vampire Diaries of any of it's characters.

Author's Note -** A huge thank you to Nanillac whoever you are!** The very charming djcamerin let me know that you had recommended my fics over at TWOP and I wanted to thank you for the shout out and for the very nice things you said about my writing! That was awesome =)

And thank you to everyone who continues to read and especially those of you who take a moment to review! I love reading what you guys have to say about this fic and I do my best to respond to respond to as many of you as I can. I don't always succeed, but I am trying to write back to everyone. And of course, thank you to pandora03, my delightful beta who I find myself missing today for some reason. Can't wait to talk to you tonight!

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Elena wasn't ready to wake up when the morning sunshine wove through her filmy curtains and filtered through the thin skin of her eyelids. Opening her eyes, she smiled. The bed was in total disarray, sheets tangled around bare skin, pillows flung to the far corners of her room. She was lying on her back with Damon's heavy arm tucked around her middle. Turning her head, she found him asleep on his stomach, his face buried in her hair avoiding the intrusive light.

As she admired the way the sunlight danced over the muscles in his back, her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. How was he not on fire? There had been several occasions when she'd seen him in daylight. Come to think of it, she had numerous questions about the finer points of his nature that she hadn't yet had an opportunity to ask about.

Glancing down, she spotted the ornate ring circling his middle finger and she pulled his hand to her face to examine it. Of course, she had noticed it before but she hadn't asked him about it. The stone was the same bright blue as the stone set in the necklace Anna always wore. It was held in place with intricate silver scrollwork, Damon's initial set in the middle. Beneath that were two words in Latin. "Pro infinito," she whispered.

"It means, for infinity, or eternity. Loosely translated." His raspy morning voice greeted her from beneath the curtain of her hair, his breath warming her neck.

"Anna's necklace has a stone like this." She kissed his palm and released his hand, before turning on her side and propping her head on her bent arm. "Is that what keeps you from turning into a fireball on a sunny day?"

"Mmmhmm. It's called lapis lazuli." He opened one eye and smirked, his face inches away from her exposed chest.

"Do all vampires have them?" she asked, trailing a hand down his spine, remembering how those muscles looked in the mirror last night, bunching and flexing.

Closing his eyes, he released a quiet breath. The gentle pressure of her fingertips gliding over his skin was intoxicating. "No, only a lucky few. You need a witch's help, and most witches aren't exactly willing to help vampires."

"Mmmm," she murmured, dropping a kiss to his shoulder. Continuing the circuit around his back, she stroked him for long minutes, enjoying the feel of his skin. Eventually, his face went slack and he fell back to sleep and Elena smiled at the sight of his mussed hair and perfect face resting on her flower printed sheets.

Getting out of bed, she threw on a t-shirt and went into her bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. Her jaw dropped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Tangled hair framed her face, made messy by Damon's fingers and several rounds of vigorous sex. Her cheeks were pink, her lips swollen and red, but it was her eyes that made her gasp softly.

They were wide open, bright and filled with a happiness she hadn't felt in years. Staring at her reflection, she realized she felt wonderful. Hopeful.

The revelation was so jarring she needed to sit down on the edge of the bathtub to collect herself. For the first time in ages, Elena was actually looking forward to the future, excited about where it would lead her. She bounced back to the mirror, grinning at her image as she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Piling her hair into a haphazard bun, she reached for a bobby pin and paused, her fingers grazing her locket.

She had taken it off as she had readied herself for bed last night and she left it on the counter after she pinned up her hair and headed downstairs. When she was alone in the house with Damon, she didn't want to wear it. Vervain was threaded throughout the filigree and she was loathe to wear something that had the power to hurt him.

Opening cupboards, she pulled out the ingredients she needed to make waffles. As she pulled out her mother's ancient cast-iron waffle maker, she laughed softly to herself. This was something she and her mother had done together nearly every Sunday morning. She hadn't done it for herself since they had died. Instead of the usual melancholy that accompanied these memories, today they made her smile as she remembered how much fun it used to be.

Just as she was pouring batter onto the sizzling iron, Damon appeared at the entrance to the kitchen, clad only his jeans. Wrapping his arms around her, he placed a loud kiss on the back of her neck. "How come every time I sleep over, you get out of bed before I can seduce you?"

Laughing, she shrugged. "For the record, I was naked and willing this morning. You're the one who fell asleep." She closed the lid on the waffle maker and leaned against him.

He tasted her neck, his hands meandering beneath her t-shirt to tease her. "I'm awake now," he said between sinful kisses.

Pushing her hips back into his hardness, she smirked. "I can tell." He spun her around to kiss her and she surrendered to the skillful strokes of his tongue. Each time she kissed him was better than the last and she sighed as his lips charted a course to her ear. "Your breakfast is going to burn," she breathed out as his teeth worried at her earlobe. He groaned, and the sound rumbled down to her core making her shudder hard.

Placing a chaste kiss on her cheek, he smoothed down her rumpled t-shirt before pulling plates from the cabinet. Damon ate four waffles in rapid succession, his eyes never straying far from Elena, loving how pleased she seemed every time he asked for another one. Unfortunately with every bite, another, more insistent hunger grew more pronounced. In four days he'd only fed once and what she'd given him hadn't been enough to fully sate him after what he'd been through. He needed to feed soon.

They cleaned up the kitchen and as Damon leaned past her to drop a fork into the sink she caught his arm. Brushing up against him, she took his face between her hands and drew it to hers with a smile, "You've got a little something …." she said softly as her tongue licked a drop of syrup from the corner of his mouth, "right there." Her playful eyes tripped up to his and she almost gasped at the smoldering look he was giving her.

Damon's eyes had darkened and their mouths met in a fierce kiss, tongues battling, teeth nipping at lips. Lost in pleasure, she hadn't noticed that he had lifted her to the counter until she felt him hard and ready, pressing against her bare center through the rough denim of his jeans.

As their kisses became more urgent, his teeth lengthened by the barest millimeter, but it was enough to scratch Elena's lip. When the sweetness of her blood hit his tongue, his fangs fully descended against his will and he felt the blood rush to his face, his eyes reddening. Pulling away abruptly, he dropped his head to her shoulder breathing hard. "Fuck."

Elena was still lost in a fog of lust and it took her a moment to realize his mood had changed. Sifting her fingers through his hair, she scratched lightly at his scalp. "What's wrong? Why'd you stop?" she asked breathlessly.

"I bit your lip."

Huffing out a quite laugh, she said, "So? I'm not _that_ delicate."

With a sigh he raised his predatory eyes to hers and he had to give her credit, she didn't so much as flinch.

"Oh….," she said softly, with rounded eyes. It was the first time she'd ever seen a vampire's features up close and she exhaled slowly, fascinated by the changes. The beautiful blue of Damon's eyes was made sharper by all the red surrounding his irises and the thin black veins that formed tiny tracks over his temples and cheekbones. Glancing down, she caught a glimpse of razor sharp canines.

"I haven't fed enough lately," he explained as the bloodlust dissipated and his features to normal, the lines fading away like magic.

"You can-," she stopped and looked down at her arm; the flesh had been made perfect again, no hints of yesterday's trauma. "I can give you..," she trailed off and lifted her arm in his direction, letting him fill in the blanks.

His eyes narrowed and he took a step back. "_No_, Elena. There will not be a repeat of what happened last night."

He sounded angry and something like rejection washed through her, making her face hot. She couldn't quite look him in the eyes. "Did I taste bad?"

Returning to her instantly, Damon ran his hands up her bare thighs. "_You_ are the most delicious thing I've ever tasted," he murmured against her neck as he breathed in deeply. Her blood had been ambrosia, honeyed wine, and he felt his need rise again as he remembered her flavor. Calming himself with a deep breath, he pulled back to see her eyes watching him and the flickers of hurt he saw there made his chest ache. "What you did last night was the most unselfish thing anyone has ever done for me." His thumb brushed over her arm. "You ripped yourself open to save me." Closing his eyes, he lifted her arm to his mouth and kissed her where her wound had been.

"I'd do it again," she whispered. "In a heartbeat."

God, he loved her. "For a vampire, exchanging blood is the most intimate act we can share with another person. It shouldn't be done out of need or fear, it should be done because we _want_ to share that with each other." Hard blue eyes met hers and he shook his head. "I won't use you Elena, you're not a human vending machine."

Her chin jerked up. "I know that. I wasn't offering only because you need it." Pulling him closer she kissed him gently. "I _want_ to share that with you. Yesterday, even with how scary that whole situation was, I _liked_ giving my blood to you." She dropped her head to his chest and placed her palm over his still heart. "I liked knowing that a part of me was inside of you. It made me feel more….connected to you."

"That's because we _are_ connected now." When her questioning eyes found his, he ran his hands down her arms. "When your blood is in my system, I'd be able to find you if needed me. Also, I can sort of tell what you're feeling," he said with a superior smile that made her eyes narrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, last night for instance, I could tell what you were thinking about when I was in the shower," he smirked.

Her mouth opened in surprise as her face flamed red in embarrassment. She had been contemplating joining him in the shower - seducing him. "You _knew_ what I was thinking?"

"Not precise thoughts, exactly. More like your…_mood_." He gave her a wicked smile and lowered his mouth to her ear. "Why do you think I got out of the shower so fast?"

The low baritone of his voice vibrating in her ear made Elena inhale sharply, her fingers curling into the muscles on his sides.

"Oooh, there it is again," he chuckled smoothly as his tongue came out to trace around the shell of her ear.

Not caring that he was making fun of her, she melted against him, her voice breathy when she asked, "I had some of your blood, why can't I feel you?"

Continuing to assault the tender skin behind her ear, his hands ducked beneath her t-shirt to settle on her hips. "Because you're human, that trick only works for vampires. But there are other benefits to having my blood in your system."

Her head lolled to one side, focused on the sound of his voice and the feel of his hands on her skin. "Such as?"

"It'll make you a little more…durable. At least for a short time." His hands skimmed up her sides to cup her breasts, coaxing a deep moan from her. "Plus, while you're drinking from me, you'll have a direct line to my thoughts, emotions….everything."

The idea of knowing Damon's innermost thoughts, if only for a moment, was completely consuming and her eyes flipped to his instantly. "I want that for us - that connection." She kissed him languidly for a long moment before urging his head to the hollow between her neck and shoulder. "Please…"

He could feel the heat flash through him at her words as the borrowed blood in his veins rushed to the surface of his skin making it hum. Damon was now sure she knew exactly what she was offering him, and he had every intention of taking it. And he'd summon every trick he'd learned in the last hundred and fifty years to make it as pleasurable as he could for her.

Inhaling deeply, he let the scent of her skin fill his lungs as his teeth lengthened and sharpened. Pulling away for an instant, Damon lifted her shirt over her head and settled himself between her thighs after lowering the zipper on his jeans. As he kissed her softly, he was careful to keep his fangs from her lips, but Elena would have none of that. She pressed closer to him and delicately ran the tip of her tongue down the length of an extremely sensitive canine. A shiver ran through him at the attention and Elena smiled against his mouth.

Without warning, Damon slid two fingers into her tight sheath and her smile dissolved into a heady moan. Blazing a trail of fiery kisses from her mouth to her neck, it was his turn to smile when she breathed out his name on a sigh. When he reached the hollow of her throat, his tongue licked a slow wet path up to the pulse point in her neck. Her fingernails dug into his biceps as he sucked on the spot lightly, his thumb brushing over her clit with a torturous expertise. His mouth worked in perfect rhythm to his questing fingers, until her throat was as sensitive as her center and every swipe of his tongue made her gasp. His fingers kept pumping and his tongue and lips continued to tease her neck until she was breathing hard and writhing beneath him, sweat breaking out over her body. "Damon, please….I need…," she panted.

"I know," his breath fanned across her over-heated flesh as he replaced his fingers with the thick length of his erection, entering her as his teeth slid into the buttery soft skin of her throat. The dual sensation triggered an internal supernova within Elena and she cried out, shuddering violently as she clung to him desperately. There had been no pain associated with the bite, only an intense pleasure that rendered her sightless, her body careening headlong into the most explosive orgasm she'd ever experienced.

She tasted even better than she had the night before, the pleasure flowing within her making her sweeter somehow. As he pulled her blood into his mouth he could taste the waves of bliss crashing through her and the sensation was so overpowering, he lost his finesse, his hips pistoning into her roughly, so close to coming. Acting quickly, he left the sanctuary of her throat and opened a small cut at the base of his neck.

Elena was still in the throes of a seemingly endless orgasm as Damon's hand came to the base of her neck, directing her to the shallow wound. Her glassy eyes focused and she latched on immediately, moaning when the rich and spicy liquid collided with her taste buds. It tasted nothing like she expected and her greedy fingers hauled him even closer as she swallowed. Damon thrust into her two more times before he came, slamming into her with a deep groan, his fingers clutching her hard enough to bruise as his head fell to her shoulder.

As Damon's body twitched in her embrace, she took another pull from his throat, eyes filling with tears as she felt the hollow emptiness that had filled him for so long. His existence had been one of isolation and abject loneliness and she clutched him more tightly as he let down his guard, letting her delve into the contours of his mind. She caught quick snatches of memories. Damon in a Confederate soldier's uniform arguing with his father, his father's unrelenting disappointment, playing football with his brother….and Katherine.

Katherine's manipulation, her come hither glances and empty promises of a life together. Elena felt Damon's long ago devotion to her and the devastation he suffered when he lost her. The sharp and painful memory of their bitter reunion made her stomach twist in empathy. Elena could see it all - the callous way Katherine had brushed aside his reaching hand and the cruel smile on her face as she told Damon she had never loved him, it had always been Stefan.

And then she saw herself, reflected through the mirror of Damon's eyes. The soft way her eyes clung to his, how she smiled at him warmly, and the innocence of her mouth as they kissed for the first time. She could feel the fear that had consumed him the night he had told her what he was, and when he awakened in the basement to find her limp and unconscious on top of him. How his heart had clenched when she told him she loved him, and how he couldn't fully believe that happiness was finally within his grasp.

When Damon looked at her, he saw his whole world. Elena was his home.

As the knowledge filled her, she broke away from his neck with a soft sob, her wet eyes locking with his. Unable to speak, her shaking fingers drew his face to hers, brushing a kiss over his parted lips. She buried her face in his neck and held him to her fiercely. Finally finding her voice, she choked out a few words, muffled against his skin.

Damon held her tightly, buffeted by the waves of affection that were pouring out of her. Warmth spread through his limbs as her words registered within him.

_You're my home too._


	16. Decisions, Decisions

Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note – Sorry for the delay folks, I was having a hard time wrapping this up. Just one more chapter and this one is done.

* * *

It was odd being at work after spending the last thirty-six hours in Damon's arms. After they had tasted one another in the kitchen yesterday morning, he had dragged her back up to her room to do it all over again. They spent the afternoon talking in bed and the evening playing in the shower. He had loved her so often and so thoroughly there was now a distinct and pleasant ache between her thighs. Damon had reluctantly left her this morning to restock his blood supply and to confirm that Stefan had in fact cleared out of the boarding house.

As Elena plodded through the first half of her shift she began to realize how much she disliked her job. When she had started working there, her job had been her lifeline. Something to keep her busy and keep her mind occupied, lest she fall into that yawning chasm of grief that was always nipping at her heels. Working at the The Grill helped her function. Maintain. The difference now was with Damon in her life, she no longer felt she was on the edge of despair and as she looked around she began to see the place for what it really was. A restaurant that had once been lively and charming had become somewhat rundown and dreary. Had the tables and chairs always been this worn? As yet another rude customer snapped at her, Elena began to wonder why in the hell she was still there.

During her afternoon break, her phone rang and she smiled as she picked it up. "Hello, Caroline."

"Where have you been? I've left you, like, five messages."

Elena winced. "I'm sorry, I know. I've been….out of it lately. I've been with Damon."

"Really? So, you guys worked out your issues?"

Elena could practically hear her grinning through the phone. "Yes, we did." She was grinning too as she said, "I love him, Caroline."

She had to hold the phone away from her ear as Caroline's high-pitched squeal of delight threatened to pierce her eardrum. "I knew it! I knew you loved him!" Calming down, she sighed, "I'm so happy for you Elena."

"I'm happy for me too."

"Well, you can tell me everything that happened tomorrow at registration. I thought we could head over to the campus together, sign up for our classes and then go grab some lunch."

She had completely forgotten about registration. School just seemed so distant somehow; the start of the new school year had snuck up on her. "That sounds good. I'll pick you up at ten?"

"Perfect. And I want details, Elena! Juicy ones. And pictures if you have them," she added with a laugh.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "I'll see you tomorrow, Caroline." She put her phone away with a smile and went back to work.

With an internal groan she noticed a table full of guys settling into her section. It was always the same with this particular group - a beer-fueled lunch where they made crude passes at her and left a lousy tip. She dreaded their weekly visits.

Plastering on a fake smile, she went over to take their orders. One of them tried to catch her eye with some casual flirting and one openly leered at her as they ordered sandwiches and a pitcher of beer. Usually, she was able to ignore the looks that men gave her, but not today. Today it made her temper flare and she had to bite back the harsh response that immediately sprung to her lips.

Glaring at the guy whose eyes were fixed on her chest, she muttered, "I'll be right back with your beer."

As she filled a pitcher behind the bar, she tried to calm herself, not quite sure why she was reacting so strongly. She took a deep breath and returned to the table, setting the pitcher down. When she leaned forward to place the glasses on the table, Elena felt a set of intrusive fingers brush the back of her exposed thigh in an unwanted caress that ended just beneath the cotton of her back shorts.

Pulling back sharply, she snapped. It was the guy who'd been ogling her and Elena caught his fingers and twisted them backward brutally, "Don't. Touch. Me.," she ground out as he yelped in pained surprise and tried to wrench his hand from her grip.

She flung his back at him and turned away, hearing him mutter to his friends, "God, what a bitch."

For a fleeting moment she wished Damon had been there to see what happened. That asshole would have touched her and instead of his hand, he would have pulled back a bloody stump. It was a petty and juvenile thought, but it made her smile as she untied her short apron and placed it on the bar, now more than ready to end her waitressing career.

Walking back into her manager's office, she was beaming as she tendered her resignation. Effective immediately. She picked up her purse from the back room and glided out the front door, feeling almost giddy as possibility unfolded in front of her.

* * *

Elena was sitting on the floor in her parent's walk-in closet taping up another box when her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she was grinning as she answered it. "Hi."

Damon was all business. "Where are you? I went by The Grill to see you but you weren't there."

"I'm at home. I quit."

"What?"

Elena could tell he was pleased. "Yep. It just didn't feel right there anymore. It was almost….depressing being there. So, I quit." As she talked to him she opened another box and began filling it up. "How did everything go today?"

"Well, the Mystic Falls blood bank is now running dangerously low on AB negative and Stefan's room has been cleared out."

"Good," she spat, still fuming over everything Stefan had done.

"Now that the small talk is out of the way we can discuss something important." Damon's voice dropped into a lower register, the baritone vibrating in her ear as he drawled, "What are you wearing?"

Laughing she retorted. "It's four o'clock in the afternoon! Isn't it a little early for one of _these_ phone calls."

He tsked softly. "It's never too early for phone sex, Elena. Tell me what you're wearing."

Glancing down at her boring t-shirt and shorts combo, she decided to mess with him. "I'm wearing a black corset, fishnet thigh-highs and five-inch black stilettos." There was a shuffling noise on the other end of the line and then nothing. "Damon?"

Warm breath ruffled the fine hair at the nape of her neck. "Liar." She shrieked and dropped her phone as Damon's arms slid around her waist as he laughed.

Her hand slapped over her heart. "How did you get in?" she asked breathlessly.

"When I changed your locks I pocketed the spare key." He tugged at her black t-shirt with a smile. "Is this mine?"

She flushed a faint pink, but her voice was unrepentant. "It is. You loaned it to me when I was sick and I kept it."

Knowing that she had taken his shirt home with her after that awful night made him grip her more tightly. "It looks better on you anyway." he smirked as his fingers slithered under the soft fabric and landed on her bare skin. Tucking his chin over her shoulder he nodded at the boxes in front of her. "What are you doing?"

She leaned back against the solid wall of his chest, her fingers slid over the cardboard box in front of her. "I thought it was time I started going through my parents things. I just haven't been able to face it until now." When she had stepped through the front door after leaving the restaurant, Elena saw her home through fresh eyes. It wasn't her family's home anymore. It was a shrine to what her family had been - a mausoleum that had remained frozen in time for three years.

"Do you want some help?"

"Sure." She handed him a box. "I thought I'd start small and box up their clothes so I could donate them."

Damon kissed the side of her neck and stood up, pulling a handful of her father's dress shirts off the bar in the closet. He started pulling them off the hangers as his eyes flicked over her face. "Lots of changes today," he said with his eyebrows raised.

Elena stopped packing and met his eyes. "I don't want to live in the past anymore. I need to move forward and I can't do that if I keep holding onto all of this," she said, gesturing towards the closet and her parents perfectly preserved room. "And the job…well, I was never really cut out for waitressing anyway," she sighed. "I took that job because I had to do _something_ other than wander around this house all day. But when I got there today, it was like…like I had just opened my eyes and I'd missed the last three years of my life. I don't want to waste another day," she finished quietly.

Nodding, Damon settled beside her and started filling the box. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she smiled occasionally when folding one of her mother's blouses. Something in her had shifted; he could see it in her eyes. They were so different from the first night he had seen her. She was happy now.

She was happy with him.

* * *

Elena watched Damon sleep as she sat on her window seat, her legs pulled up and her chin resting on her knee. After they'd finished packing up her parent's closet he'd ordered them Chinese food and they had tried to watch a movie. Ten minutes into it they both had become far more interested in each other than what was happening on screen and Damon had stripped her bare. The memory of his hooded eyes, watching her from between her thighs as she gasped and moaned made her quiver. Turns out Damon's tongue was just as talented as his fingers, if not more so.

Her lips curved up as she saw his hand reach across the mattress, looking for her. Not finding her, his eyes popped open and found her. "Why are sitting over there?"

She smiled at him. "Can't sleep."

He trailed a hand down his chest, smirking when he saw her eyes following the movement. "Need me to tire you out again?"

"So cocky," she chuckled.

He raised a brow at her as his smirk grew more pronounced. "You got that right."

Elena laughed and threw a pillow at him which he deflected easily. She left her spot at the window and sat next to him on the bed, her face becoming serious. "I'm supposed to register for classes tomorrow."

His fingers skimmed up her thigh as he searched her gaze. "And…?" he prompted.

She shook her head and huffed out a breath. "I don't know if I want to go back to school right now."

"Then don't go," he shrugged.

"It's not that simple, Damon."

"Actually, it's exactly that simple." He sat up, holding her hand. "If you want to take some time off, Elena, there's nothing wrong with that. You can always go back."

He had a point. Elena nodded but kept her eyes on their intertwined fingers. "How attached are you to Mystic Falls? I mean, I know this is your home and-,"

He cut her off. "Mystic Falls is just where I _live_, Elena." The intensity in his eyes made her stomach flip and she nodded as he pulled her close. "You're my-,"

She silenced him with a kiss, "I know," she whispered. "I feel the same way, which is why I'm not feeling so attached to this place anymore." She pulled back to look at him. "Before I met you, this house and my job…my _routine_ was all I had. But now it all seems so insignificant. Like I've been sleeping for years and I'm finally awake. And now that I'm awake, I want to do something. Anything."

Damon liked where this was going. "What have you got in mind?"

Smiling now, she relaxed against him. "Well, my parent's both had life insurance policies and I've never touched that money. I'd like to use some of it to travel, see the world. I haven't set foot out of this town since I was sixteen."

"Where do you want to go?" His lips coasted over the skin of her neck as he spoke.

"Everywhere!" she said excitedly as the idea picked up steam in her head. The possibilities were endless. She'd always wanted to see London and Paris. Rome. She'd never even been to New York City. Her muscles tensed as she turned to face him. "Do you…?" she trailed off as she looked at him hopefully.

In a flash she was on her back and Damon's welcome weight was pinning her to the mattress. "Yes," he said firmly as he kissed his way along her jaw to her ear. "Where you go, I go. I'll even let you drag me to Siberia if that's what you want."

Her hands wound around his waist and her nails dragged along the corded muscles of his back. "I won't drag you to Siberia," she moaned as his hands slid beneath her shirt. "I was thinking France or Italy maybe, to start."

"I have a house in Italy." He pushed the fabric higher and kissed the sweet curve beneath her breast. "We can start there."

Her fingers tangled in his hair and she tugged lightly making him look at her. "You have a house in Italy?"

"Mmmhmm. Outside of Genoa. It belonged to my father." Her fingers released him and he bent his head, planting hot kisses along her collarbone.

Her head dropped back as his mouth blazed a trail over her throat and down her chest. "What else don't I know about you," she breathed out as her back as her hands gripped his shoulders.

He smirked as his hand trailed down her abdomen and her hips arched in invitation. "Well, I'm an excellent cook, I speak four languages, I'm a great poker player and I hate country music," he told her between kisses. "And I bet I can make you come in under a minute," he smirked as he plunged two fingers inside her.

Elena sucked in a sharp breath as she pushed herself further onto his hand. "No you can't," she defied him even as her traitorous body rolled beneath him eagerly.

"Watch me." He feathered a kiss over her parted lips as his eyes grew darker. "I love you."

Her eyes flipped open as she pulled him closer with a smile. "I already knew that."

Damon huffed out a laugh as his lips settled in the hollow of her neck and his hand picked up the pace.

He won the bet with thirteen seconds to spare.


End file.
